Harry Potter and the Joining of Destinies
by Kalistar
Summary: AU WoT Crossover. After the end of GoF, Harry is transported to another time. Thinking he can never return home, Harry finds family and learns new skills that will prepare him for his eventual fight with Voldemort. Will feature Independent!Harry, Power
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) anything related to Rowling's Harry Potter or Jordan's Wheel of Time.**

**Summary: AU Crossover. After the end of GoF, Harry is transported to another time. Thinking he can never return home, Harry gains a family and learns new skills that will prepare him for his eventual fight with Voldemort. Will feature Independent!Harry, Powerful!Harry, Manipulative!Dumbledore.**

**Initial chapters will take place primarily in the Wheel of Time setting. The setting will return to Harry Potter around chapter 6 or 7. **

**The Wheel of Time chapters do not fit in with the books. They take place in the Age of Legends prior to and during the War of the Power.**

**This is my first HP Fan fiction, so be kind. Constructive criticism/ideas are encouraged and welcomed.**

**Chapter 1: What am I Doing?**

It was the third week of June in the town of Little Whinging England. In the house at #4 Privet drive sat an unusual 14 year-old boy, Harry Potter. Harry was different from the other occupants of the home for many reasons, not the least being that he was a wizard. More specifically, he was Boy-Who-Lived and more recently the reluctant champion of the Tri-Wizard tournament.

Harry currently had a lot on his mind as he was lying on his bed. At the end of the tournament, he had witnessed the death of Cedric Diggory at the hands of his parents' betrayer, Peter Pettigrew. As if that wasn't enough, he was then forced to participate in a blood ritual to finally return Lord Voldemort to a full body and health.

Dumbledore…How could he send me back here like nothing has changed, Harry thought angrily to himself. He knew Dumbledore understood how the Dursleys treated Harry, so why did he have to come back he year after year.

As he continued to think about Dumbledore and his current living arrangements, Harry began to get angry at many of his current actions. Specifically, Harry wondered why Dumbledore could not use his position in the Wizengamot to get a trial for Sirius, since he never had one to begin with and was simply thrown in jail for twelve years. And, while he had no proof, Harry was sure that there must have been some way for Dumbledore to get him out of the tournament.

As his anger continued to grow, Harry's thoughts turned to his two best friends, Ron and Hermione. He couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't heard from them since the end of school. Surely they realized that he needed to talk to some other than the Dursleys about Cedric.

Harry paused in his rant as he thought once again about Cedric or more specifically Cedric's death. If I had just taken the cup, then Cedric would be alive, he couldn't help but think. While he didn't know Cedric very well, Harry felt responsible for his death and was slowly drowning in his guilt over not just Cedric's death, but Voldemort's rebirth.

Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to settle his emotions and focus on something other than Dumbledore, Cedric, Voldemort or his friends. Finally, after going nowhere with this particular strategy, Harry decided he needed to write a letter to Sirius. Despite the fact that he hardly knew Sirius, he looked up to him as something close to a father.

Getting out of bed, Harry walked over to the small desk near the bedroom window and sat down to write his letter.

_Sirius,_

_First off, I haven't had any more dreams from Voldemort since the end of the tournament. _

_I still can't help but think it is my fault that Cedric is dead and Voldemort is back. If I had just taken the cup myself, then Cedric would be alive and with his family right now._

_What is going on with Voldemort? Has he attacked anyone? Have you heard from anyone else, I sent letters to Ron and Hermione but I haven't heard anything? I hope they are ok._

_Things here are about the same always, meaning it is miserable. I don't understand how anyone can treat family (and I use the term loosely) the way mine treats me. Why does Dumbledore make me come back here every year, why can't I stay with Ron or at Hogwarts?_

_I know you probably can't respond, but try and let me know if you are ok._

_I am going to go for a walk to clear my head. I just need to get away from here and forget about Cedric and Voldemort for a while._

_Harry_

Once Harry was done with his letter, he rolled it up and tied it to Hedwig's leg. "Hedwig, take this to Sirius, and make sure you are not followed." He said quietly. Hedwig rolled her eyes and cuffed him on the head with her wing affectionately before flying out of the window.

With Hedwig gone Harry changed clothes and snuck downstairs to avoid his aunt and uncle. As he was on his way through the kitchen, he heard his aunt screech his name. Rather than answer her, he quickly left through the kitchen door and ran towards the nearby forest.

After reaching the end of the block, Harry stopped running and slowed to a walk until he reached the forest. He had always loved walking in the forest when he was younger. It was very peaceful, full of large oak trees that covered the few paths in shadows and softened the noise from the city. As he walked deeper into the forest towards his favorite spot, he listened to birds singing and he occasionally saw a rabbit or squirrel shoot into the underbrush as he got too close.

#12 Grimmauld Place

As Harry was making his way through the forest, Hedwig was delivering his letter to Sirius.

Sirius was sitting alone at the kitchen table when Hedwig flew in. The Weasley clan and Hermione Granger who were also staying at 12 Grimmauld Place had arrived a week earlier.

Smiling as Hedwig dropped the letter and flew back out the way she came. Sirius grabbed the letter and opened it.

As he began to read the short note, Sirius' smile fell to be replaced with a pensive expression. He was worried about Harry. On Dumbledore's orders, both his best friends were ignoring Harry's letters. He couldn't understand what Dumbledore was thinking cutting Harry off from everyone who loved him.

Getting up from the table, Sirius went to the library to find Remus; a plan forming is his mind. He was going to get Harry out of that house whether Dumbledore liked it or not.

On entering the library, Sirius found Remus sitting in a leather armchair reading a book. Taking a deep breath and preparing for the inevitable debate, Sirius said "Remus, I think we need to go get Harry and bring him back here. It is not healthy for him to live with those people; he belongs here with us, his family."

"Sirius, we have been through this with Dumbledore. He said that Harry needs space and time alone to deal with everything that happened last year." Remus said in a monotone, not really believing it himself.

"I don't care what Dumbledore said. Look at his letter, it may be short but it doesn't leave me with a good feeling. We have left him alone with those damn people and cut off all contact with his friends. How the hell is he supposed to move one?" Sirius said in a firm tone. "And when did Dumbledore get the authority to make these decisions for Harry? I am his godfather not Dumbledore!"

Remus replied "I am sure he is only look after Harry's well being …"

"If Dumbledore was so interested in Harry's well-being, then why has head two different death eaters as DADA teachers? Why has Harry faced Voldemort in some shape or form for 3 of his 4 years at Hogwarts? No. Dumbledore may be powerful but when it comes to Harry he has made bad decision after bad decision. It is time I started acting like Harry's godfather and stopped looking to other people to take care of him. I love him and he is my responsibility to take care and no one else's." Sirius finished firmly.

Agreeing with Sirius in his heart, Remus gave in and said "OK, but don't think there won't be a fight over this."

Looking Remus in the eye and in a quiet voice he said "I know, but Harry is worth it."

Smiling, Remus said "In that case, let's pick him up this evening."

Forest outside of Little Whinging

Harry had finally reached his favorite spot in the forest. It was a clearing atop a small hill deep in the forest. At the top of the hill was a round dull-white pillar that was approximately 3 feet high and was smooth but for symbols and runes that were carved into the surface.

Harry had found the clearing a few years ago, before he got his Hogwarts letter. Dudley and crew had been engaging in their favorite pastime (Harry Hunting) and in his haste to escape them Harry had run much deeper into the forest than in the past and came upon the clearing and the pillar. After that day, Harry returned often to the clearing. He always felt at peace in the clearing, surrounded by the forest with the sounds of the birds and other forest animals playing softly in the background

As he looked at the pillar again for what felt like the thousandth time, he tried to figure out the strange markings on the pillar. He had long ago noticed that there seemed to be two sets of symbols of the pillar which were separated about halfway up. Also, no symbol was every repeated. Quickly giving up on the mystery of the pillar, he sat down in the long grass and leaned back against the pillar to stare up at the sky.

As he was sitting against the pillar in the warm summer sun, Harry began to relax and forget about his problems and the events of his 4th year. Slowly, his eyes began to droop and he fell asleep and began to dream.

In his dream, Harry was on the hill with the pillar but it was now night instead of mid-afternoon. As he looked around the clearing, he noticed a white glow that was much stronger than any moonlight that appeared almost as a river of light above him. Reaching out to touch the river of light, he felt a part of it pour into him sharpening his senses as if for the first time he was seeing the world as it was meant to be seen. Everything was clearer, he could see minute cracks in the pillar, he could pick out individual details on each blade of grass and he could hear the night sounds of the forest with greater clarity than ever before.

The power that the river was pouring into him was intoxicating and he wanted more of it. But, as he was marveling at these experiences and the feeling of power growing in him, the river of light continued to pour more power into him, threatening to burn him up from the inside as he struggled to contain it all. Even as Harry withdrew his hand, he could feel more power from the river flowing into him and in desperation he looked around for something to do with it. His eyes fell on the pillar and in particular and symbol on the pillar of a long sinuous beast with four claws and maned head that reminded him of a Chinese dragon. Focusing on that symbol, Harry redirected the power that was flowing into him towards the symbol and in that instant, everything changed.

The symbol on the pillar gave off a white glow briefly as Harry poured power into it. Quickly, the symbol began to draw more power from Harry, not just the power given to him by the strange river of light but his magic as well. As the power and his magic were pulled out him, Harry started to scream in pain. Unable to stop the outpouring of power, Harry sank to his knees in agony and exhaustion. Just as Harry was about to pass out, the symbol flashed a bright incandescent white. As the light faded Harry noticed he was no longer in the forest clearing. With that, he pitched forward unconscious.

Later that night at #4 Privet Drive

With a loud crack, two figures appeared on the front lawn of the Dursleys home. One man had long graying light brown hair and was wearing somewhat worn and tattered wizard robes. The second was thin with straggly black hair and clear blue eyes. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a simple black t-shirt.

"Are we going to take Harry back with us?" Remus asked.

"Of course!" Sirius said heatedly. "I don't care what Dumbledore says, Harry has no business living with these people."

Not wanting to upset Sirius further Remus said quickly "I agree with you Padfoot but you know there are going to be questions and Dumbledore is going to try to send Harry back to his relatives."

"Well, Dumbledore can kiss my ass. Harry is my godson and it is my decision not his." Sirius continued, "How is he supposed to '_accept'_ the Diggory boy's death in this kind of environment and with no communication with us or his friends."

"No, Dumbledore is flat out wrong! I will not let him leave Harry is this environment anymore isolated from his friends and his real family." Sirius practically hissed. "Harry is coming home to live with us and there is nothing anyone can say about it."

Remus stared at Sirius for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. Together they walked up the manicured lawn and into the home without bothering to knock. Once inside Sirius called for Harry.

Unfortunately, Harry was not there, but it wasn't long before his oaf of an uncle came lumbering into the room to see who was calling for his freak of a nephew.

"What are you freaks doing in my home?" Vernon yelled. "Get out this instant. I will not have you kind contaminate my house or my family with your degenerate ways!"

Not wasting any time, Sirius pulled his wand from his robes and leveled at Vernon's chest before growling "Where is Harry? We are not leaving until he is with us."

Face red, Vernon puffed himself up attempting to hide his fear of these two freaks and answered "That boy has not been here since this morning. He ran out of the house ignoring all his chores and hasn't been back since." Adding under his breath "Good riddance, we never wanted the freak hear to begin with."

Unfortunately for Vernon, Remus clearly heard his last comment because of his heightened hearing. Eyes glowing amber, Remus snarled before pulling his wand out and uttering _Stupefy_ to stun Vernon.

Turning to Sirius, he said "Sirius, you need to go back to Grimmauld Place and get Albus. If Harry is missing, we need to begin looking for him before it is too late."

Not wanting to leave, but understanding the situation, Sirius left to gather the people needed to search for his godson.

Unbeknownst to Sirius or the rest of the Order of the Phoenix, Harry would not be found.


	2. Where am I or should I say When am I

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) anything related to Rowling's Harry Potter or Jordan's Wheel of Time.**

**A/N 1: This chapter is largely explanatory and sets the stage for remaining Wheel of Time (WoT) chapters. After this things will pick up as we get to the events that lead to the War of Power.**

**A/N 2: For the calendar I am using traditional months but the year will correspond to the timeline from WoT Chronology for the different ages until Harry returns to England. PB is short for Pre-Breaking of the world. **

**A/N 3: Some WoT characters and events have been changed to better fit into the story.**

**Chapter 2: Where am I…or should I say When am I?**

**June 30th, Year 50 PB (Before the War of Power)**

A man, approximately 6'1 in height with should length jet black hair and pale blues eyes was out walking in the fields around his home, when he was startled by a blinding flash of white light. Rubbing his eyes to clear the spots still flashing in front of him, Lews Therin Telamon began to look around for the source of the flash.

Looking around the fields, he didn't see anything but tall grass waving slowly in the summer breeze. As he continued to pan across the fields, his eyes came to rest on the portal stone, a strange white pillar approximately 3 ½ feet tall covered in symbols and runes that stood on the edge of the field. There is the grass around the pillar, was the body of what appeared to be a teenage boy.

Jogging over to the portal stone, he stopped and stared down at the body of what looked like a thirteen or fourteen year old boy. He had short, messy black hair and looked to be about 5'7 but it was hard to tell given his position curled up on the ground at the base of the portal stone. The boy was dressed in clothing that was unfamiliar to Lews, it consisted of a shirt that was obviously too big for the thin boy with pants that appeared to be equally large.

Realizing that he would get no answers until the boy awoke, he bent down and picked the surprisingly light boy up into his arms and began to walk back towards his home. Maybe his wife would have some ideas on who this boy was or where he was from.

As he was walking back to his home, he called to his wife "Ilyena, come see what I have found."

"You better not be bringing back another wounded animal! You know how bad you are with the weaves for healing." A woman's voice answered back with humor.

Blasted woman, I bring home one wounded rabbit and I can never live it down. Won't she be shocked when she realizes how close to the truth she is? "Have no fear; you don't have to worry about catching any animals as they run around the manor."

Finally reaching the door to the porch, he pushed it open with his foot and staggered in. While the boy was not very heavy, it wasn't easy carrying a dead weight the half mile from the portal stone back to the manor. Once inside, he gently laid the boy down on a scarlet and gold sofa and called for his wife. "Ilyena, can you join me in the solarium?"

Walking into the room expecting to see another animal of some sort, Ilyena stopped short when she saw her husband sitting on the sofa with a young boy. "Who is he? Where did he come from?"

"I don't know who he is, but I think he may have arrived here by portal stone."

Eyes widening and surprise evident in her voice, Ilyena gasped "But, that's not possible. Most Aes Sedai aren't strong enough in the one power to use one and he is too young to have even begun training yet."

"I know, but as I was walking in the fields there was an intense flash of light as with a portal stone. When I made it over there, he was lying at the base of the stone unconscious." Lews finished in a perplexed voice. "Even if he were an Aes Sedai and strong enough to use a stone, it would not explain his clothes." He continued.

"What do you intend to do with him? We can't just abandon him." She asked.

"Until he wakes up, he can stay in one of the guest bedrooms. Maybe we will get some answers after he regains consciousness." With that, Lews stood up and picking the boy up again took him to one of the guest bedrooms on the second floor of the manor. After depositing the boy on the bed, Lews left the room, shutting the door behind him.

**Later that afternoon:**

In the darkened bedroom, Harry groaned softly and rolled over on the bed burrowing his head into the pillow. Slowly, Harry realized he was in a very comfortable bed, much larger and softer than the one in his bedroom and certainly softer than the hilltop around the pillar.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Harry sat up and looked around the room for the first time. It was definitely not his bedroom. The furniture was gilded in gold and silver with a large mirror on one wall and paintings on the other walls. After examining the bedroom for a few minutes, Harry decided it was time to try the door and see if anyone else was around.

As he was reaching for the door knob, Harry paused. What if there were Death Eaters here? Shaking his head, he quickly decided that not the case because he would not be in a very comfortable bedroom and would in fact most like be dead already. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the door knob once again.

Opening the door, Harry slowly slid out of the doorway to find himself at the end of a long stone hallway. Closing the door behind him quietly, he started walking down the hall, attempting to keep in the shadows where possible. As he proceeded down the hall, Harry passed a number of doors on either side of the hall, pausing at each door; he would open each door slightly to look in each room. Each room was similar in size and decoration; obviously he was in some sort of guest area.

Finally reaching the end of the hallway, Harry proceeded down the stairs towards the sound of voices. Finding the source of the voices, Harry watched as two people carried on a discussion about something called portal stones and the one power. The man seated facing away from Harry had shoulder length jet black hair. The woman had long light blond hair and was exceedingly beautiful with pale flawless skin.

As Harry was about to step back into the hallway, the woman looked up and saw Harry. She smiled "Well, unless we more than one houseguest, I believe our mystery visitor is awake."

Turning around in his chair so he could see who Ilyena was looking at, Lews Therin replied "Why I believe you are correct. Well don't just stand there, come in and take a seat. You look a little unsteady."

Clearly confused with the situation, Harry stayed where he was.

"Don't let my husband scare you." Ilyena said with twinkling eyes. "We won't hurt you."

Deciding he didn't really have any other options, Harry sat down in an empty chair. "Not to be rude, but who are you and where am I?"

"My name is Ilyena and this is my husband, Lews Therin Telamon. You are in our home on the outskirts of Parran Disen. How you got here is something of a mystery. My husband found you unconscious by the portal stone at the edge of one the fields surrounding this manor. May I ask you name?"

More confused than ever, "My name is Harry…Harry Potter. What is a portal stone is it similar to portkeys or apparition?" Inwardly, Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no recognition in their eyes at the mention of his name. While anxious to return home, it was nice to escape the fame of being the Boy-Who-Lived.

"I am unfamiliar with those terms. A portal stone is a pillar covered with runes and symbols that allows someone to different locations and times. It takes a great amount of the one power and normally someone as young as you have not been trained to even sense the one power."

"Your portal stone sounds like the pillar I found in the forest around my One Power? Is that the same as magic? All I remember is sensing what looked like an immense river of light. But when I reached out, it started flooding into me and it felt like I was alive for the first time. Everything was sharper, my vision, my hearing, and my touch but at the same time it felt like it was trying to sweep me away. I am not sure how to explain it." Harry said in a soft voice remembering the experience.

"Harry, what did you do to keep yourself grounded? Many who experience the One Power untutored the way you did do not survive the experience. Yet you survived and somehow traveled here." Asked a puzzled Lews Therin.

"I am not sure, as I was starting to get overwhelmed; I focused all of the power that was pouring into me on a symbol on the pillar that looked like an oriental dragon. Once I started doing that, the symbol seemed to draw everything from me, not just the power from that river, but my own magic as well." Harry said honestly.

Ilyena gave her husband a started look at Harry's explanation. Both realized that not only had Harry touched the One Power at a very young age, but he was most likely stuck in with them.

"Do you know how I can get back to my time? Since I have never heard of this city, I know I didn't travel to another location."

"I don't know how to tell you this, but without knowing the symbol for your time, you won't be able to go back. There is very little known about the portal stones as most Aes Sedai do not have the ability to draw enough power to use them. What can you tell me of this magic you keep mentioning?" Lews Therin said.

Harry's eyes had lost their life at hearing that he would not be able to go home. While part of his was thrilled at the fact that he was away Lord Voldemort, it also meant he would never see Sirius, Ron or Hermione again. Before his brain could register Lews' question regarding magic, Ilyena was standing and suggesting that they all have dinner before they continued their discussion.

Harry was about to say he was not hungry when his stomach betrayed him by growling very loudly. Lews looked somewhat startled by the sound for a moment and then he started to laugh, releasing some of the stress from finding Harry and trying to figure out what happened. Ilyena also smiled broadly at the sound of Harry's stomach thinking that he certainly needed to eat more.

Harry sat at a large dinner table waiting for Ilyena to finish whatever she was doing in the kitchen. He was already starting to miss Sirius, but he was also getting excited about the chance to have a fresh start in a place with no expectations or dark lords out to kill him. Plus, maybe he could find out which symbol represented his time. If he could do that, then he would be able to return.

Unbeknownst to Harry, as he was thinking things through, he started to smile slightly. Lews, catching Harry's smile, was a little worried at his reaction to being unable to return to his home.

Shortly, Ilyena had returned with food and the three of them began to eat. After each had had their fill, Lews asked the question that had been bothering him since he had seen Harry smiling.

With a somber expression on his face, Lews asked "Harry, why were you smiling before we started to eat? Aren't you bothered that you probably won't be able to return home?"

Harry's eyes narrowed briefly and then he took on a nervous expression as he began to answer the question. "Well, it isn't so much that I don't want to go home. It is more of that fact that here I get a fresh start." Seeing the look of confusion on both their faces, Harry decided to be open about his past. "When I was little over a year old… (A/N I am not going to repeat the history of the first 4 books)."

Lews was staring at Harry with a thoughtful expression on his face as he digested Harry's story. Ilyena was more emotional, crying softly when Harry talked about his childhood and the trials he had gone through while at school.

Breaking out of his reverie, Lews asked Harry to demonstrate his magic. Pulling his wand out, Harry tries to perform a simple _Windgardium Leviosa_ on the empty dinner plate in front of him and fails spectacularly. After he tries it again, he notices that he doesn't feel the normal tingle or warmth from his wand that he normally would.

Not surprised to see him fail, Lews asks Harry if he can examine his wand. Agreeing, Harry hands it over for Lews' inspection. After studying the wand for a few minutes, Lews said "Harry, I think your wand is a primitive _ter'angreal_." Seeing the question in Harry's eyes, he continues "A _ter'angreal_ is a tool that allows people to use the One Power for a specific use. My guess is that your wand somehow tapped into the One Power for you and allowed you to manipulate it, but when you reached out and touched the One Power directly, you burned out your ability to use a wand and now must learn to tap the power directly."

Shocked that he would never use a wand again, questions poured out of Harry "What is the One Power? Is it dangerous? How do I learn how to use it? Is there a school here that I would go to like Hogwarts?"

Somewhat amused Ilyena answered "The One Power is what drives the universe. It is the force that brought about the stars and the planets. It is what keeps the universe from sinking back into oblivion. Despite its name, the One Power is made up of two distinct forces Saidin and Saidar. Both are equal in power but opposite in nature. Only women can tap into Saidar and only men can tap into Saidin. As with anything else, each individual with the ability to tap into this power has different strengths and weaknesses."

Picking up for Ilyena, Lews continued "You see Harry, both Saidin and Saidar are broken up into five elements: air, earth, fire, spirit and water. By combining threads of these elements, men and women are able to perform feats that are equal to or greater than anything you described for magic. If one is strong enough, they can control the weather, bring someone back from the brink of death, or shake the very earth."

As if they were a tag-team, Ilyena once again spoke "There is danger to those using this power. If not trained properly you could draw too much into yourself and burn out the ability or worse you could die. The ability to tap into the One Power typically shows up in mid-to-late teens. If that person is not trained properly following their initial use, they often times die."

Seeing Harry take on a worried expression, Lews jumped in "Don't worry, I myself am trained and am in fact one of the most powerful Aes Sedai that exist today."

"What or who are the Aes Sedai?" Harry asked.

"The Aes Sedai are an independent group made up of all those who can use the One Power. They are trained from their 18th birthday until the time they can pass the test to be called an Aes Sedai. This training takes years to complete and during that time you learn not only how to use your ability but also your specialty and where you can best contribute. For example some Aes Sedai are expert healers and can fan the flames of life from a simple spark while others focus on the creation of new _ter'angreal_ that can be used for some new purpose." Lews said.

After pausing to let the information sink in Lews continued "Within the Aes Sedai, those who are able to channel more of the One Power often hold a higher station and are looked to as leaders. In addition we also tend to live much longer lives. You mention that your headmaster was over 150 years old. Would it surprise you to learn that I myself am just over 160 years old?"

To say that Harry was shocked was an understatement. If he had to guess, he would have sad that Lews with his solid black hair, smooth face, and bright blue eyes was in his mid 30s, not over 160. "So you think that I could be an Aes Sedai eventually, that I can 'channel' the One Power?"

As this was far more Lews' area then her own Ilyena let him answer. "Yes, you can definitely channel Saidin, as that is the only way you could have activated the Portal Stone. I assume that given the amount of power necessary to use Portal Stones, you will one day hold a high position amongst the Aes Sedai."

Seeing Harry's eyes droop in exhaustion at this point, Ilyena suggested "Why don't we wait until tomorrow for any more discussion. Harry has had enough shocks for one day. Do you think you can find you guest room again or do you need help?"

"No I can find it on my own. And thank you for your help and hospitality." Harry said with total sincerity.

Smiling as she watched Harry leave the room, Ilyena turned to her husband and asked "What are we going to do with him? Obviously he doesn't have any family here and he couldn't begin training to be Aes Sedai until he is 18."

Now Lews Therin Telamon was no idiot. He could see where his wife was going and truth-be-told was not opposed to the idea. Deciding to have some fun with his wife, he said in a slow thoughtful tone of voice "Well, we can always contact Family Services. I am sure there is some sort of group home he could stay at for a few years until his training begins."

Seeing his wife's expression darken, he decided to continue "By the sounds of it, he would be better off than with the relatives he used to live with. It's not like he expects to have a family."

Practically imagining thunderclouds forming over his wife's head, he decided to take pity on her "Besides what would we have to offer him? The most we could do is give him some early training so he doesn't kill himself and allow him to be a normal teenager for once in his life. What kind of people would we be to offer his something like that?" He finished with a smile.

Her expression changing to shock for a moment before a wide grin broke out on her face as she realized that her husband had been making fun of her all along. She leaned over and gave him a tight hug before kissing deeply for a few minutes. "We can talk it over with him tomorrow, but it would be nice to have him here with us. There is just something about him that makes me want to take care of him."

"I know what you mean. You can see it in his eyes, the pain that he has gone through and he is only 14. Plus, given his circumstances, he is going to need help adapting to our time and I can't think of anyone better suited to the task than you and I."

Together they cleaned up the remains of dinner and walked upstairs to the master bedroom. Both of them were quiet as they thought of the green-eyed boy asleep in one of the guest bedrooms. Tomorrow they would talk about the future with him.

**Next Morning:**

Harry woke up and was a little disoriented before he remembered the events of the previous day. While he was still excited about the prospect of a fresh start away from everything he once knew he was a little worried about where he would live in this time and what he would do for money. Based on the reaction of Lews to his explanation of magic, he doubted that Gringotts existed in this time. Well, he would bring it up after breakfast. Maybe Lews and his wife would have some advice for him.

After using the bathroom, Harry realized he didn't have any clothes to change into and once again put on his hand-me-downs from Dudley. With that done, he walked downstairs to find both adults already seated at that the table.

Seeing Harry walk into the room, Ilyena scowled briefly at the site of his clothes, now knowing the reason for such ill-fitting attire. As he was sitting down she said "Harry we have a few questions for you, but why don't you eat breakfast first."

Nodding in agreement, Harry surveyed the food before him and saw something that appeared to be a pastry but he was unsure of the type, eggs, and some kind of meat that resembled ham but was a much paler color. Deciding on the safe options, he filled his plate with eggs and the pastry.

A short while later, Harry had finished his breakfast and brought the plate into the kitchen. Once he returned and sat down, Ilyena broached the subject that all three had been thinking about. "Harry, Lews and I talked last night after you went to bed. We know you don't have any family in this time and …" she paused for a moment before continuing on a little nervously "we would like you to stay with us. You can learn about this time and meet kids your own age. Lews can give you some early training in channeling since you have already done so. You don't have to answer now…"

Before she could finish her sentence Harry, with a smile on his face, said "I would love to stay here with you. You helped me when you had no reason to; you had given a stranger someplace to stay and food to eat. Even after hearing some of things that I have done (referring to killing Quirrel) you still welcome me into your home. I don't know what else to say beyond thank you."

A little surprised at this quick response and the thought behind it, Ilyena smiled a gave Harry a strong hug. He couldn't help but to compare it against the ones he had received from Molly Weasley. Hers had always been overwhelming, almost suffocating in her efforts to protect and shelter him. The hug from Ilyena was different it seemed to give him comfort and support but without suffocating him. After stiffening for a few seconds in surprise, he relaxed into it and returned the hug with a strength that surprised him.

In a very somber tone of voice, Lews began "Harry if you are going to stay with us, there are going to have to be some changes. Most importantly …" Here he paused for dramatic effect, "Those clothes have got to go. First thing we will do is take you into the city to get some new clothes and show you the sights." He said with a smile as he watched the nervous expression that had been on Harry's face melted into laughter.

**Later that afternoon:**

Lews, Harry and Ilyena were walking down one of the main boulevards in Parran Disen having completed their shopping earlier. Harry was now dressed in soft brown leather boots that cam up to his calves, loose dark brown pants made of a heavy material that was unfamiliar to him, and a long sleeved sapphire blue silk shirt.

He stared in wonder at the broad boulevard that was paved in iridescent white stone. Down the middle of the boulevard ran a line of tall trees with thick trunks. Their canopies spreading over both sides of the boulevard seemed to exude a sense of peace that made Harry feel lighter and eased his homesickness somewhat.

Both sides of the boulevard were line with tall elegant building made of similar material to the iridescent stone. The buildings' shapes appeared to be almost organic, pulling straight from nature the image of a cresting wave or age-worn mounting. Many of the buildings were connected at some level by an airy bridge on which Harry could see many people walking and going about their business. He had learned that Parran Disen was the capital city as well as being home to the Hall of Servants, the primary location for the Aes Sedai.

Overhead, Harry watched as something similar to an airplane flew overhead. It had a long, sleek sliver body and the wings were shaped like a hawk's. Unlike airplanes, it had no engines that Harry could identify. Seeing the questioning look on Harry's face, Lews said "They are called Sho-Wings and they fly using the One Power. The vehicles going up and down the boulevard are Jo-Car Floaters and run on a similar principle but only hover a foot or two off the ground."

It was obvious to Harry that he was in the future at some point since neither wizards nor muggles had the capability to construct a city like this or make anything resembling a Sho-Wing or Jo-Car Floater.

"It's time to go home. We can have dinner and finish our discussion from this morning." Ilyena said.

The three of them proceeded to climb into a waiting Jo-Car Floater for the trip home since it was too far to walk being on the edge of the city. After a 20 minute ride, they arrive home and walked inside with multiple bags carrying clothes and books for Harry so that he could begin to learn about his new home.

After a simple dinner, Lews said "Harry there are still a few issues we need to discuss and work out. The main one is your education. We were thinking that Ilyena can tutor you to bring you up to speed on the world today.

I will also give you some early training in channeling Saidin. Normally, you would not receive any training until you were 18 but since you have already channeled, it would be more dangerous to you and those around you to not give you any training. Think of it as a way to keep you out of trouble and prevent you from making any mistakes."

Jumping in here, Ilyena added "We also want you to meet the children of our friends so that you have friends your own age." Seeing that Harry wasn't silent, she added "Do you have any questions or issues with this approach?"

Realizing that they thought he was upset, Harry quickly replied "No, I think it sounds brilliant. I am just not used to people being so nice without an ulterior motive. Thank you doesn't seem to be enough to say."

Smiling again "Harry, you told us what you have been through. Rest assured the only thing we want from you is for you to be happy."

Harry couldn't understand the trust he seemed to have for Lews and Ilyena. Ever since the Dursleys, he had been slow to trust, but since he had arrived in this time, they had done nothing make Harry feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. For perhaps the first time in his life, he felt accepted for who he was and not what he had done as a baby. Before he himself realized what he was doing, he had leaned over and given Ilyena a tight hug and then done the same with Lews.

**June 30th, 49 PB (1 year later)**

Harry was happy. He had learned a lot about this time and he from Lews he had begun training to channel. Apparently, channeling was not widely know until about a 1,000 years ago when the talent started to emerge in people. Lews theorized that the wizards and witches from Harry's time were the precursors of those who could channel today. Something must have occurred that allowed them to tap directly into Saidar and Saidin.

Today was a little different though. Today was the anniversary of the day he had arrived here in this time.

He had been living with Lews and Ilyena for a year now. They had become his guardians shortly after his arrival. Even though he had never truly had any parents before, he like to imagine that they were his parents and not just his guardians. Inevitably, as these thoughts came to him, a part of him felt like he was betraying Sirius.

Now a year had passed and they had not been able to figure out the symbol for his time on the portal stone. Harry had accepted that he might never go back but he still missed his friends, Ron and Hermione. It was Sirius that he missed most; however, even that was fading. Though he was happy here, Harry decided that use this anniversary as a way to remember Sirius, Ron and Hermione. So, even if he never returned, he would always remember them.

**July 31st**

Today's was Harry's second birthday in his new home. To say he was excited would be an understatement. Without the fame or notoriety that his scar brought him before, he had a freedom he had never known to be himself and make friends without the fear that they liked him because he was the Boy-Who-Lived. After taking a shower and pulling on his clothes, he made his way downstairs for breakfast.

As usual, both Ilyena and Lews were already at the table eating and talking softly. Over the last year, Harry had learned to read their expressions pretty well and for some reason today both looked apprehensive about something.

While Harry was eating, he saw Lews glance nervously at Ilyena before saying "Harry we have some news for you and a question."

As usual, when the topic was important, they seemed to alternate there sentences the way Fred and George did. Ilyena continued "Harry, I'm pregnant."

Harry began to get nervous himself. Did this mean that they did not want to be his guardians anymore? Before he could get any further in his thinking, Lews disabused him of that thought.

"Harry, over the last year as your guardians, we have come to know you and love you. The fact that Ilyena is pregnant just pushed us to make a decision we had been nervous about."

"What Lews is trying to say is that we want you to be our child's older brother. If you are willing, we would like to adopt you and make you a permanent member of our family."

"We know we can never replace your birth parents and that someday you may return back to your original time, but until then we want you here with us. You are a very special young man and I can't think of someone I would rather have as a son."

By this time, Harry's brain had stopped registering new information. He kept repeating to himself 'They want to adopt me. They love me.' He was afraid it was a dream, but in his heart he knew it wasn't. Then he did something that he was becoming increasingly more comfortable. He got up from his chair and gave Lews and Ilyena tight hugs, not wanting to let go.

"Of course I am willing. For a long time now I day dreamed about you being my parents." Laughing and with a huge smile on his face, he continued "I can't believe you were nervous about asking me."

Ilyena did not think she had ever seen Harry so happy. It felt like a stone had been lifted from her shoulders as she said "Well, I think we have more to celebrate today than just your birthday."


	3. A Shadow Across the Sun

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) anything related to Rowling's Harry Potter or Jordan's Wheel of Time.**

**A/N 1: Harry's training will be covered in highlights to address key ideas and flashbacks later in the story. After this chapter, the stage has been set and the descent into war begins.**

**A/N 2: Going forward I hope to update once to twice a week. I should have the next chapter up by Saturday.**

**Thanks to those that have reviewed. **

**Chapter 3: A Shadow Across the Sun**

**August 1st, 47 PB **

It had been 2 years since Harry James Potter had become Harry James Potter-Telamon. Today, Harry was sitting in the living room playing with Aeron, his baby brother, while he waited for his dad to finish breakfast. A smile spread across his face at the thought of his parents and how much they had given him. For the first time in his life, he had a home and a real family.

Since his time here, he had grown another 4 inches. He would never be considered tall, but he was a very respectable 5'11. His hair was as a messy as ever. Deciding it was easier to keep it short, he ended up with his hair spiked, accentuating the natural messiness. His eyes had been healed by a friend of his parents early on. The biggest physical change in Harry was the fact that he was no longer scrawny. He had well defined muscles and very little body fat making him quite popular with the girls his age (and many that were not his age as well.)

He and his dad were waiting for Durram Laddel Cham to arrive. Together the three of them were heading into the city for Harry's testing. Now that he was 18, he needed to be tested to see if he could be trained as an Aes Sedai. Not that there was any question as to whether he could be trained, but he had to go through the process just like everyone else.

_Flashback_

"_Harry, I think we should keep you training a secret. You won't really be learning much more than the meditation techniques that will allow you to sense Saidin and the basic control techniques." His father said._

"_I don't have a problem with that. But won't it be noticed when I go for my testing after my 18th birthday?" Harry asked._

"_At that point, we can say that I had to start training you in the last few months because you had managed to touch Saidin. It isn't really unusual for a 17 year old to do this."_

_End Flashback_

Hearing a knock at the front door, Harry stood and lifting Aeron into his arms went to answer the door. As he hoped, it was his 'Uncle' Durram. Emerald green eyes sparkling as he remembered their last sparring match, Harry said "I wasn't sure you would be willing to come with us. You know, not wanting to be shown up by an 18 year old and all."

'Uncle Durram' as he had become known thanks to Harry stood there glaring at the youth. "Ah, the confidence of youth, too bad, in this case, it does not correspond with talent. After all, how many matches have you lost to me?" Adding with an evil glint in his eyes "Besides, it was your birthday."

Harry didn't know what to say to that. He just stood there mouth open for a couple of seconds before calling for his dad. "Dad! Uncle Durram is finally here. He said something about needing to hurry if he is going to get the senior citizens discount for lunch."

Before he could turn around to grin at his uncle, he was hit hard on the back of the head by his Uncle. "You'll regret that. I think I am going have to step up our little sparring matches, wouldn't want you to get overconfident."

Harry was no longer sure it was such a good idea to call his uncle old. Luckily his dad chose that moment to walk into the room. "Have you had breakfast yet or are we ready to go?"

"No, I have eaten already and we should get to the Hall of Servants if we don't want to be there all day. Harry and I have a sparring match this afternoon that should be educational."

Gulping a little, Harry hurried out of the room to hand Aeron over to his mother. As he was leaving the room, he heard his dad and uncle speaking in low tones before laughing loudly. Harry knew he was doomed. Finding his mom in the kitchen, he said "We're leaving now. Wish me luck?"

"Oh, good luck, but as long as you remember what your dad taught you, you will do fine." She said in a reassuring voice.

In order to save time, the three decided to Travel to the Hall of Servants for the testing. His uncle opened himself to Saidin and manipulated the weaves to create a portal. A vertical silver line about 6' in length appeared in front of him and then rotated 90 degrees so that it was now horizontal. Then before he could blink the line spilt in two with one sliding up to a height of 6' and the other sinking down to the ground creating a 6x6 silver square that faded to show a portal opening to the Traveling point for the Hall of Servants on the other side. After the three of them stepped through, his uncle released his hold on Saidin and the portal turned silver once again and faded from view.

The three walked into the testing area of Hall of Servants. Harry was happy to see 2 of his friends there for testing as well. Everyone was required to go through the testing after their 18th birthday to see if they could be trained to sense the One Power. It was not a great percentage of people that passed; perhaps 1 in a 1,000 could be trained.

The testing was necessary so that people did not kill themselves or others by channeling without the proper training. For those that passed, it meant years of training but it also frequently lead to positions of leadership in virtually every field of study and government.

Two of his friends, Devra and Martin, walked over to Harry. Devra was somewhat plain looking with light brown hair that she kept short and chocolate brown eyes. Her personality more than made up for anything she lacked in appearance. She was the cheerleader of Harry's group of friends. Devra was the one who encouraged others, celebrated their achievements, and supported them in their failures.

Martin was good looking but not quite enough to cause heads to turn. He had pale grey eyes and sandy blond hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Where Devra was the cheerleader of the group, Martin was Harry main competitor. They competed in everything from girls, to sports, to sparring.

"Harry, are you ready the testing?" Devra asked.

"Yeah, it's not like we have any real say in the outcome. It is not like we can control whether or not we can channel. What about you Martin, nervous?"

"No not really. I want to be an Aes Sedai but no one in my family has the talent, so I don't expect to pass."

At that moment, two Aes Sedai walked over to collect Devra and Martin for testing. As they walked away, Harry called out "Good luck."

Both turned and smiled at him before walking out of the room for testing.

After waiting for an hour or so, an aging Aes Sedai with should length grey hair and hazel eyes walked to take Harry for training. Harry looked at his dad and got an encouraging look before following after her. Shortly they came to a small room with no furniture or decorations or any sort other than two simple chairs.

One chair was already filled with a familiar face. It was another of his parents' friends; he had met Carna on many occasions at parties hosted by his parents. He wore plain black boots with black pants that were tucked into the tops of his boots. Like Harry, he kept his blond hair short. He motioned for Harry to take the seat across from him.

_Flashback_

"_Harry, we are going to start with the exercise that is used during the testing after your 18th birthday."_

"_OK, what do I need to do?"_

"_Close you eyes. The first thing to do is to clear you mind. To do this, I want you picture a flame floating in a field of darkness. Once you have done that, start to push your worries and your emotions into the flame."_

_Harry tried to follow his Lews' instructions, but he kept losing the flame. Finally, after many tries he was able to maintain the image as he started to feed his emotions into the flame. As he did so, he became calmer and began to notice a pale glow in his peripheral vision. Whenever he focused on it, it would disappear and he would have to start over. Finally, he was able to feed his emotions and worries into the flame. In a voice that sounded cold to his ears, he said "Lews, I think I did it. I keep seeing this pale glow but every time I try to find it, it disappears. Then I have to start all over."_

"_Normally, I would help you at this point to complete the testing but that isn't necessary with you. That pale glow you are sensing is Saidin. When you are able to clear you mind, you will be able to sense Saidin and open yourself up to it. For now, I want you to practice clearing your mind every day. Try to hold it a little longer each day. As you practice, you will find that you can slip into this state with little to no effort."_

"_How come my voice sounds so cold? _

"_That is common when you first learn to sense Saidin. Once you have more experience, you will no longer sound so emotionless."_

_End flashback_

After Harry was seated, Carna placed his hands on either side of Harry's head. He had Harry repeat the exercise with the flame taught to him by his dad 3 years ago.

Harry quickly reached the desired state and could sense Saidin easily. "Now what?"

A little surprise at how quickly Harry had performed the exercise, he said "Now, reach out to Saidin. Do try to grasp it, but let it flow into you? Don't worry about being overwhelmed, I will keep you safe."

It felt like Carna had put some sort of shield in between Harry and Saidin that limited the amount of power that he could draw. He did as was instructed and felt the familiar cold exhilaration that came with channeling.

Sensing the power in Harry, Carna instructed "Now I want you to create a candle flame in between us. Focus on the flame, see the color, feel the heat."

Harry tuned out Carna's voice as he channeled a flow of fire to create the candle flame. Feeling a small trickle of power flow through him, a small blue flame the size of his thumb appeared in front of his face, giving off a faint glow and a bit of heat.

"Excellent Harry. You can let go of Saidin now. Your father has been giving you a little training has he?"

"He might have."

Laughing he said "I would have expected no less. Honestly, I would have been more surprised if he hadn't given you any training. Obviously, you passed the test. Your father will be able to fill you in on the details of where you need to go."

"That's it? I thought there would be more to it."

"That's it. Do you need help getting back to your father?"

"No, I can manage. Thanks."

Standing, Harry made his way back to the entrance hall where he found his dad and uncle waiting for you. "Have Devra or Martin finished yet?"

"Yes both had to leave a little while ago."

His uncle asked "Did you pass, will you follow in your illustrious father's footsteps?"

"I don't know about the illustrious part, but yes I will be following in his footsteps." He said with a grin.

Clapping Harry on the back, his dad said "Well done, I knew you had it in you. We should get back and let your mother know, plus I believe someone has a sparring match this afternoon."

Harry groaned at this and his uncle had an evil smirk on his face as they made their way out of the Hall of Servants and back home.

Ilyena was waiting near the door for them once they reach home. After hearing that he passed the test, she gave him a tight hug and said "Congratulations. I knew you had it in you. Did you eat lunch already?"

"No, I'm starving. Maybe I will just take a nap after lunch, it was a long morning."

"I don't think so Harry. You and I have a previous engagement. I may be 'old' but I am not senile."

Laughing at Harry's predicament, his dad explained to Ilyena "Harry was a little boastful of performance in their last sparring match. I believe Durram intends to nip any over-confidence issues Harry has in the bud."

Taking no pity on Harry, his mom replied "Lunch won't be ready for an hour so. Why don't you have your match now and work up an appetite."

"Fine" Harry said as trudged off to get his sword. "I will meet you in the sparring chamber." Mumbling to himself "Bloody traitors, no support."

Meeting up with his uncle and father 10 minutes later in the sparring room, Harry prepared himself. His uncle was a blade master and if he was honest with himself, he knew he had no chance of winning.

So it was that Harry got into position in the ring with his sword raised in the ready position. Durram followed suit, joining Harry in the ring before quickly starting the duel. Durram thrust low which was blocked by Harry. Harry was forced to jump back when Durram followed up on the thrust by swinging his sword up and away forcing Harry's sword away leaving him open to attack. Moving before Harry could react, Durram swung his sword low and used to the flat of the blade to sweep Harry's feet out from under him.

Resting for a moment, Harry got to his feet and returned to the ready stance. Only to be returned to floor 5 minutes later. This was the way it went for the rest of the hour before Harry was too tired and sore to get up anymore.

"Apparently, I still have some life in met yet. Wouldn't you agree Harry?" His uncle asked while holding out a hand to help Harry off the floor.

Laughing his dad said "That's what happens when you get overconfident."

Grumbling to himself, Harry grabbed his uncle's hand to stand up and walked back to the dining room, hoping that lunch was ready.

After being thoroughly embarrassed again at lunch with his uncle regaling the sparring session, his dad began to explain the Aes Sedai training he would be going through. He would be introduced to the concepts and uses of the Saidin, physical fitness and swordsmanship, and as necessary training for any special talents he may have.

During the fist couple of years, Harry would stay at the dorms in the Hall of Servants. After he had completed his basic training, he would be free to live wherever he wanted. From the looks on both his parents' faces, it was clear that both hoped he would return home.

"Harry, training will begin in two weeks. It is going to be hard work, but I know you will do well."

Harry moaned as he got out of the chair, all of his muscles were now extremely sore. He sensed someone begin to channel Saidin and said "No, I don't want any healing. It's what I deserve for being a prat this morning. I will see everyone tomorrow."

**August 15th, 47 PB**

It was Harry's first day of training. Because of the dual nature of the One Power, the group of 15 (6 men and 9 women) were separated into two groups. The only class they had together was history and theory.

Harry and Martin were rooming together and made their way to the first class which happened to be theory. The teacher, a stout woman with grey hair in a tight bun and a plain blue dress was giving the lecture today. Apparently, the teacher would change depending on the subject. Today they were learning about the "pattern."

Every person's life could be viewed as a thread. When a person died, the thread ended, when someone was born, a new thread began. The interaction of all these individual threads formed the pattern.

The pattern was the substance of life and could sometimes be altered by individuals that had special roles to play. These individuals were called _Ta'veren_ and could alter the lives of those around them simply by being near them.

One of the most dangerous uses of either Saidin or Saidar was balefire. It not only killed or destroyed whatever it hit. It erased them from the pattern. Balefire is not be used unless absolutely necessary by erasing someone from the pattern, you erase all of their actions but not the memory of those actions.

After the lecture was over, Harry and Martin had classes on channeling and a private tutoring session on swordsmanship. Harry's dad and uncle had gotten both of the young men interested in the sport.

**September, 39 PB**

Harry and his two friends Martin and Devra were nearing completion of their training. They were discussing what they were going to do after their training was complete. Devra had developed a talent for healing and was considering an internship with Nemene Damendar Boann to further develop her skills. Martin had already accepted an internship with Harry's uncle Durram to become a full blade master and strategist.

During their eight years of training, it was discovered that Harry had a talent for Dreaming. This meant that with specialized training he would be able to enter the world of _Tel'aran'rhiod_, the dream world that ran parallel to the waking world. By entered the dream world, it was possible to enter into another's dream, scout locations in times of danger, and if one physically entered into the dream world, they travel great distances in a short amount of time, similar to Traveling. Once he finished is training he would undergo 6 months of training with another Dreamer. After that was complete, he would begin an internship with Tamrylin, the leader of the Aes Sedai.

"It's going to be strange not seeing you and Martin everyday. Devra where is Nemene work primarily?"

"She lives in Comelle on the coast. So I won't be able to get back too much, but because she is the top of her field I expect to travel around. What about you where will you do your training as a Dreamer?"

"I am not sure who I have been assigned to yet, but I know they work at the Collam Daan research facility in V'Saine. I plan on Traveling there though and living at my parents' place outside of Paaran Disen. I assume you are staying here Martin? Will you get your own place or live with your parents?"

"Not sure yet, there isn't much room at home so I might get my own place."

"You are always welcome to stay we me at home. We have tons of room." Missing the resentment showing on Martin's face, Harry went on "There is also the sparring room so you would be able to practice without difficulty. I know what a taskmaster Durram can be."

Grudgingly Martin said "I'll think about it." It wasn't that he was jealous of Harry but they had always been very competitive with each other and it seemed that Harry always came out on top. Not that he won every time, but he won more often then Martin. He had been very excited about his internship. It would give him something that Harry didn't have, the title of Blade Master, a master swordsman.

Jumping in to divert the conversation Devra said "Just think in a little over 3 years we will be full Aes Sedai."

Having been distracted by Devra, both Martin and Harry moved on to the new topic for a few minutes before everyone left for the next class.

**December, 39 PB**

Harry, Martin and Devra had finished their primary training the month before. In the end, Martin had decided to take Harry up on his offer and moved into of the guest rooms in Harry's home. Devra had left for Comelle the previous day and Martin was meeting with Durram to discuss his internship. Harry took to the opportunity to spend time with his parents and little brother since his training as a Dreamer did not start until the next day.

Waking up, Harry quickly cleaned up and ate breakfast before Traveling to begin his training. The Collam Daan stood before Harry. It was immense; easily twice the size of Hogwarts, but where Hogwarts was a single castle, the Collam Daan was a collection of buildings laid out in concentric circles that seemed to flow into each other to form one harmonious picture. On the outermost ring were the low level researchers and the building was shaped according almost like a ring of rolling hills that slow rose to meet the second ring. The second ring held the mid level researchers and was where the majority of work was completed. The second ring was the least elegant consisting of rectangular buildings with softened edges that abutted up to the innermost ring. The final ring held only the most senior researchers and consisted of a series of fluted spires that were a glistening white in the morning sun.

Hundreds of feet above the spires floated the newest facility of the Collam Daan, the Sharom. It was a shining white sphere that was used by only two researchers, one of whom he was to study under. The only way to enter the Sharom was to Travel or Skim.

Harry was a little nervous as entered the Collam Daan for the first time. It was the premier research facility and he was going to be studying with one of the top researchers Mierin Eronaile. According to the rumors, she and her partner Beidomon were working on tapping into a source of the One Power that was not separated into Saidar and Saidin. If they were able to succeed, men and women would be tapping the same source of power and should be able to achieve things that were once thought impossible.

Taking a deep breath, Harry knocked on the door to Mierin's office.

"Come in."

Using the Flame and the Void to calm his nerves, Harry entered the office. "Mierin Sedai, I was told to report here to complete my studies under your tutelage. I am Harry Potter-Telamon."

As he was speaking, he chose that moment to take a good look at Mierin; she was an exceedingly beautiful with a full figure and narrow waist. She was nearly as tall as Harry and had shoulder length black hair that was adorned with silver clips in the shape of the moon and stars. He couldn't help but notice her expression change upon his name. Her face closed off and she sneered at him before answering.

"I should have known that I would get stuck training Telamon's brat. Luckily for you, you look more like your father than that ugly cow of a woman he married."

Deciding that silence would be the best response, Harry focused on feeding his rage at this woman's insults into the flame. Despite that, Harry wanted to reach for Saidin and teach her a lesson she wouldn't forget, but he needed her to complete his training.

"Well, I am impressed, you can keep you tongue. You are either afraid to challenge me or are willing to bide your time." She could tell that Harry trembling slightly with the effort of taking no action. Inwardly pleased with herself, if she couldn't get her revenge on the father she would take it out on the son.

"You will be here three nights a week for your training with _Tel'aran'rhiod_. If you show any talent, I may allow you to assist me with my research. Now you may leave, but do not sleep tonight. This should make our training tomorrow easier. I expect to see you here no later than 8pm."

Recognizing a dismissal when he saw it, Harry nodded his head in acknowledgement and left the office to return home.

After dinner, he and his father were sitting outside drinking coffee. "So, Harry how was your first day? Who are you training under?"

"I meant to ask you about that. Her name is Mierin Eronaile and she seems to pretty much hate you and mum. I was tempted to ask for another trainer but she is supposed to be one of the best Dreamers still living."

Blanching at the name, his dad answered "Yeah…She and I dated for quite a while. I broke it off when I realized she was more interested in my position within the Hall than in me."

"I got to say dad, that between Mierin and mom you really have incredible taste in women. At least as far looks go. Do you think I should ask for a different trainer?"

"No, like you said, she is one the best around. Let me know if things get too bad and I will have a chat with her."

Harry, realizing what a disaster that would be if his dad had a chat with Mierin, made a resolution to put up with any crap she sent his way. If he could put up with Snape, he could handle Mierin.

**May, 38 PB**

After months of training, Harry was able to enter _Tel'aran'rhiod_ whenever he needed. He had used it to travel by physically entering into the dream world but found he felt exceedingly vulnerable when doing that so it was on rare occasions that he would use it in such a manner.

It had taken weeks before he was able to go to sleep at night and enter _Tel'aran'rhiod_ at will. Every time he had fallen asleep and entered is own dream rather than _Tel'aran'rhiod_ Mierin would find him in his dream and given his the most horrible nightmares. By the time he mastered entering _Tel'aran'rhiod _at will he had deep bags under his eyes and had lost close to 10lbs because of the near constant nightmares. His parents had even considered demanding a new trainer given the impact it was having on Harry.

Once he had mastered this action, he was able to sleep without being punished with nightmares and began to put the weight back on. After the nightmares, Harry never fully trusted Mierin again. He got the sense that she wanted him to fail and that she would like nothing better to see his entire family humiliated in the process.

Despite everything, under Mierin's expert if bad-tempered tutelage, he had become adept at manipulating the dream world to create objects and creatures to do his bidding. Of late she had been letting him enter _Tel'aran'rhiod_ on his own and would check up on him once or twice a week to see how his studies were coming.

Harry was rather relieved when did not experience the prophetic dreams that many of those able to enter _Tel'aran'rhiod_ did. He had enough experience with nightmares growing up that he did not need to add prophetic dreams into the mix.

Tonight, Harry was exploring Parran Disen. It always took a little while to adjust to seeing the magnificent city devoid of people. As was often the case, Harry felt like he was being watched, but from his discussions with Mierin and other dreamers, this was a common occurrence. This night was different though because Harry was being watched, he was being watched by two people.

Hearing a noise coming from a nearby alley, Harry decided to investigate. While he often felt like he was being watched, hearing noises was something entirely new and out of the ordinary.

Entering the alley he saw two figures waiting for him. Not believing his eyes, he said "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"Harry, you know who we are." The man answered. He was right, Harry did know who they are, but he refused to believe.

"How? You were killed centuries ago. How could you be here now in _Tel'aran'rhiod_?"

This time the woman answered, "Harry it is us, your parents. When someone performs a great act of selflessness or heroism they are sometimes spun into the pattern over and over again as needed to play pivotal roles throughout time. Given you importance to the wizards and witches of the 20th century our sacrifice was enough to include us as two of the heroes that are spun into the pattern. What people don't know and you can't share with anyone is that until we are reborn, we wait here in _Tel'aran'rhiod._"

"Even though it is against the precepts to show ourselves, we wanted to see you again, to meet you. Until Lily and I are born again, we can meet here often. We are curious to know how you reached this place since it is was unknown of before we died."

"I don't know if I will be able to share everything tonight but do you know what Portal Stones are?" Seeing their nods, he went on "The summer after my fourth year I happened to run across one in the forest near where I lived. Somehow, while I was leaning against it trying to clear my head I sensed Saidin and without thinking about it, I started to channel it. Since I didn't know what was going on, Saidin just started to pour into me and on instinct I threw it all into a symbol of a dragon on the stone. Once it had reached a critical point, I was transported to the future."

Giving them a minute or two to digest that information, Harry continued telling them of his time with his adopted parents, family, friends, training to be Aes Sedai and a synopsis of his time at Hogwarts. When he was done, he was surprised at the troubled expression on their faces. "What's wrong? You're not upset that I let someone adopt me are you?"

"It's not that, we are thrilled you found such a loving family to be part of. No, it's just that you didn't defeat Voldemort did you? What about the prophecy, aren't you concerned about what happened if you were never there to defeat him?" James asked.

With a confused look on his face, Harry asked "What prophecy? Why would I have to defeat him, can't Dumbledore or someone else do it?"

"You mean Dumbledore never told you about the prophecy despite everything that happened to you while you were at school? Didn't he give you any special training?" Lily asked her voice rising.

"Ummm, that would be a no and no. What prophecy are you talking about?"

"Well, it may not matter if you can never get back but before you were born there was a prophecy that said _The one…_(A/N we have all read the prophecy before) and since you have that scar, you are marked as his equal."

"What the hell was Dumbledore thinking keeping that kind of information from me? At this point, I guess it does not really matter but if I do make it back there, that man has a lot to answer for."

Harry continued, "As I see it, there are three possibilities. A. Voldemort was never defeated but by this time he is no longer around so his play for immortality did not work. B. Voldemort was defeated by someone other than me, which seems unlikely if the prophecy is true. C. At some point in the future, I will figure out a way to return to the past and defeat Voldemort using Saidin, a power he knows not."

"Well option B would suit me best. I don't want you to face him if you don't have to." Said James.

Realizing that he needed to get some real sleep to prepare for the coming day, Harry said goodbye to his parents with the promise that he would call for them the next time he was in _Tel'aran'rhiod_.

After watching Harry fade out, James turned to Lily and asked "So, what do you think?"

"I think that if Harry ever returns to the 20th century that Dumbledore is going to have a lot to answer for. Personally, I would not want to be either Dumbledore or Voldemort if he makes it back. He is going to have a huge advantage being able to channel the One Power."

"We need to find out more about his time before Hogwarts. I got the impression that it was not very pleasant. One good thing about this though is that we have a chance to get to know our son."

With that both Lily and James walked towards the back of the alley and disappeared into the shadows.

_Flashback_

_Despite herself, Mierin was impressed with Harry's skills and determination. She had learned many of his deepest fears while she was punishing him with nightmares for his failures. It seemed his biggest fear was being abandoned by his parents. Unfortunately, while the nightmares had been a pleasant diversion for her and a welcome chance to get some revenge she had not been able to get him to quit. _

_After being convinced to do so by her research partner, Beidomon, she had asked him to participate in the circle that would be drilling through the pattern. Essentially, they were trying to bore through the pattern to access the power they felt behind it. It could be felt everywhere, but for some reason this new power seem closest to the surface here which is why the Sharom had been constructed._

_The circle would consist of Harry and twelve others with both Mierin and Beidomon directing the flows of power to drill through the pattern. Because of the delicate nature of the project, precision was required with the amount of power that would be wielded by Mierin and Beidomon._

_They practiced for weeks, joining into the circle, channeling and giving control of their power over to Mierin for her use. During these times, Mierin reveled in the amount of power she was able to wield. She could level the entire research facility if she wanted to. This is what she was working towards, the ability to wield this kind of power without having to utilize a circle of willing participants._

_Once she succeeded, Lews Therin Telamon would realize what he had given up when he left her. He would beg for her to come back to him. More than once she had contemplated stilling Harry while they were in Tel'aran'rhiod as way to get back at his father. Perhaps afterwards she would go through with it, but right now he was too big a part of the circle needed for drilling through the pattern._

_End Flashback_

The day had finally arrived. Today, Harry and the rest of the research team were going to be drilling through the pattern in an attempt to reach the source of the unified power that had been detected.

Too nervous to eat, Harry walked outside and channeled Saidin into the weaves of power for Traveling. Stepping through the opening, Harry released Saidin and the hole faded back to silver and then dissipated.

Making his way to Mierin's office where he met up with the rest of the team which consisted of Mierin, Beidomon, and twelve other researchers. But the show belonged to Mierin and Beidomon. Only those two would actually be in the Sharom, the rest of the team would be in the tallest spire serving as the pool of power needed by the two researchers.

With practiced ease, Harry and the other twelve members of the circle began to channel the one power. One by one, each member gave control over to Mierin. As long as Mierin was in control, no one could stop channeling. Once Mierin had control of the full circle, she and Beidomon Traveled to the Sharom to begin.

**Inside the Sharom:**

After they entered and allowed the portal to close, Mierin focused the power of the circle and begin to drill through the pattern. Beidomon used Saidin to sense where the pattern was weakest and helped guide Mierin's efforts. Both expected the process to take a significant amount of time give the nature of the task. They could not simply try and punch their way through, they need precision and consequently, progress was slow.

Mierin and Beidomon continued to focus the power supplied by Harry and the rest of the circle in the spire beneath the Sharom. The amount of power flowing through her was intoxicating, Mierin knew that together she and Beidomon would be able to pierce the pattern and reach this new power.

Beidomon could feel the pattern weakening. "We're almost through Mierin. Refocus the weaves; shape them into a drill once again so that we can pierce the pattern now that it has been weakened."

They had been attempting to pierce the pattern for over 3 hours now and the effort was showing on Mierin's face. Grimacing from the effort, Mierin did as he suggested and together pushed the drill of power into the pattern once again. Both of them felt the pattern strain and then finally it frayed and ripped around the point of the drill.

Beidomon shouted "We did it, we are through the pattern. Now all we need to do is …"

Mierin cut him off "We need to get out of here, something is wrong." Even as she said this, she was releasing the circle and getting ready to Travel.

Fire, black as night, was spreading out from the point were they had pierced the pattern.

Not wasting any more time, she Traveled to a safe distance away from the Sharom and the Collam Daan.

**Outside the Collam Daan**

A crowd of people had gathered outside of the Collam Daan after the circle had started to work. No one knew what was happening but the Sharom was giving off a pale white light as Beidomon and Mierin continued to work.

By the time Mierin was able to pierce the patter, several thousand people had gathered. As they stared up at the Sharom, the white light radiating outward faded. People started talking again, thinking that whatever the researchers had been doing was over.

Just when the crowd was dispersing, gouts of black flame shoots out of the Sharom, blasting a piece of the structure off to fall towards the crowd. More black flame started could be seen, spreading out across the sky and blasting more pieces off. Finally, the Sharom shatters like an egg with fire bursting out in every direction, spreading out across the sky arcing down towards the earth. The black flame continued to grow throughout the sky, casting a shadow across the sun and bathing those below in darkness.

People were screaming out in terror and running in every direction to get away from the flame and from being crushed by the falling debris.

**Inside the Spire:**

The circle was concentrating on the flow of power they were providing to Mierin and Beidomon. They all felt the circle shatter when Mierin released the power with no warning. Everyone collapsed as they were overcome by a wave of exhaustion from channeling so much power for an extended period of time.

Harry struggled to his feet and staggered over to the balcony when he started to hear screams coming from outside. Looking up, he saw black fire expanding in all directions and the remains of the Sharom were falling towards the gathered crowd.

Grabbing onto the railing to hold himself up, Harry reached out to Saidin to channel as much power as could into a shield. Weaving Fire and Air together, a deep blue sphere spiraled into existence above Harry's head. Pouring more Saidin into the sphere, he forced it to grow until it exploded outward into a dome covering both the Collam Daan and the crowd.

He gasped as felt the first of the fire and debris begin to impact against his shield. Each impact sent a bolt of pain shooting through his head and threatened to break his concentration. Sweat breaking out on his forehead as struggled to maintain the shield as the debris continued to rain down first impacting the shield and then rolling down until they settled on the ground at the edge of the shield.

Harry sank to his knees as the pain started to overwhelm his and Saidin threatened to sweep him away. By this time, the black flames had started to fad. Finally, one of the largest remaining pieces of debris impacted Harry's shield and shattered before crashing into one of the spires of the inner ring. The spire shuddered and the collapsed, falling outward towards a pocket of buildings and people, crushing both.

As the shield was penetrated, Harry felt a spike of pain shoot through his head, blood running from his nose as he struggled to release Saidin without killing himself; he collapsed on the floor of the balcony and passed out.


	4. Descent into Darkness

**A/N: Beginning in the section titled Collapse, I will refer to Lews Therin Telamon as "The Dragon" and Harry as "Telamon". I know may be somewhat confusing at first, but some of the dialogue didn't sound right using "Harry."**

**A/N 2: I have gone back and changed the starting year for the WoT portion of the story. It does not change any of the events, but it brings it closer to the Breaking of the World and fits better with the way I have accelerated events. No other changes were made.**

**As always, thanks for the reviews.**

**Chapter 4: Descent into Darkness**

**Aftermath**

Researchers poured out of the Collam Daan when the heard the gathered onlookers scream as the Sharom was destroyed and black fire spread across the sky. Just as the first researchers made it outside, they say a deep blue shield form over them protecting the facility from the falling debris and fire.

Then after protecting everyone from the worst of the debris, the shield shattered like a piece of glass. For a moment the pieces of the shield began to fall and it looked like everyone would be crushed or sliced to ribbons by the razor sharp shards. Then Harry passed out and as he lost his hold on Saidin, the shards that were falling dissolved back into nothingness.

A hush fell over the crowd as they realized they were safe. People started dispersing, not knowing what to do when senior researcher Linar took charge. "Devon, Travel to the Hall of Servants, we may need healers. I don't know who created that shield but it used a hell of a lot of power." Seeing that Devon was still somewhat dazed from the display he ordered "GO!"

Snapping out it, Devon replied "Uh, yeah ok." Collecting himself, he went on "Yes I am going now." Noting that he had enough room to open a portal safely, he Traveled directly to the Hall of Servants, not bothering to use the Traveling point.

Linar, having sensed the power that Harry had used in the shield, grabbed two other researchers and said "You're coming with me. We need to check out that spire. Whoever was creating the shield is in there."

Linar could still feel some of the flows of Air and Fire that Harry had used in making the shield. He knew that they came from the top floor. The three continued to climb the stairs until they reached the top floor. Not wasting any time, Linar barged into the room to find the circle collapsed on the floor, passed out from exhaustion and the shock of being released so suddenly by Mierin.

"This doesn't make sense. They couldn't have formed the shield, they are all women and if it had been them, I would not have sensed anything. Quickly, search the rest of the room. If you find anyone, call out." Having issued his orders, Linar knelt down and began to examine the unconscious women using his meager healing skills to identify any problems.

While Linar was doing this, Kera and Meda, the other two researchers, separated and began to search the side rooms. After checking all the doors and anterooms on her side, Kera decided to check out the balcony. It took her a moment to process what she was seeing. It was Harry, passed out on the floor of the balcony blood slowly pooling around his head. Shaking herself she called "Linar! I found him, out here on the balcony."

Linar and Meda, hearing the urgency in Kera's voice rushed out to the balcony to see her pushing Harry onto his side so he wouldn't aspirate on his own blood. Once again taking charge of the situation, Linar ordered "Meda, get to the Hall of Servants and find Devon. Tell him where we are and that we need healers immediately."

Meda recognizing the urgency of the situation, ran back into the main room and Traveled to the Hall of Servants.

After Meda left, Kera asked "Is there anything we can do?"

"Unless you have more skill at healing than I realized, the only thing we can do is wait and hope that Devon and Meda make it back here in time."

"What do you think happened? What could destroy the Sharom like that?"

"I really don't know. All I do know right now that this young man saved everyone at this facility."

"Did you see the size of the shield he made? I couldn't have protected a single spire let alone the entire facility and surrounding grounds."

"Hopefully he didn't burn himself out in the process."

Gasping, her face pensive, Kera started brushing Harry's hair away from his face and said "Do you really think that happened?"

"It wouldn't be the first time it has happened, that someone drew more of the One Power than they could safely handled and burned the ability to channel out. Hopefully that is not the case here."

Meanwhile in the main room, a portal opened and Meda, Devon and three healers stepped through. Meda quickly lead two of the healers, Devra and Nemene, to the balcony.

Devra paled when she realized that it was Harry lying on the floor of the balcony. "Harry?" Turning towards Linar and Kera she asked "What happened here?"

Taking over, Nemene silenced the conversation and said "We don't have time for that now. I will handle this. You go in and help with the others."

"But…" Devra trailed off as she saw the expression on Nemene's face and knew she would not be winning any arguments. She walked back into the main room with a last worried glance at Harry as Nemene started to work.

Not wasting any more time, Nemene began to work. A pale blue glow surrounded her hands that pulsed in time to Harry's heartbeat as she channeled flows of spirit, water, and air into Harry so that she could sense all of his injuries. She was relieved to note that much of the blood on the floor appeared to have come from the cut on his forehead he had most likely received when he passed out. However, she also detected that there was some brain hemorrhaging that was causing his labored breathing and shock.

Changing the flows that she was channeling, she now included earth into the mix and formed a complex pattern with the flows of power. The glow around her hands had increased in intensity and deepened in color as she included the flows of earth. She directed the new pattern into Harry to repair the damaged blood vessels in his brain and the more minor cut on his forehead.

"I have done everything I can. He should be fine now, but he will probably be unconscious for the next couple of hours and tired for the next few days." Standing Nemene went back into the main room to check on Devra.

Seeing Nemene walk in, Devra gave her an update "There are no injuries here. It appears that they are all suffering from an extreme case of exhaustion but there are no other physical injuries."

"Good. I assume you know that young man on the balcony? Is there somewhere he can rest, he probably won't wake up for a couple of hours?"

"Yes, he is Lews Therin Telamon's oldest son Harry. How is he?"

Nemene's eyes widened a little at hearing this. "He will be fine. There was some brain hemorrhaging but I have repaired the damage. Now he just needs rest."

"If you don't need me for anything else, I would like to take him to his parents." Seeing Nemene nod in acquiescence, she channeled flows of air to create a stretcher for Harry. Tying off the flows so she wouldn't have to concentrate on them, she opened a portal to bring Harry home.

Arriving at Harry's home, Devra called for help. While she was a very good healer, she was not used to maintaining multiple flows as she had with the stretcher and creating a portal at the same time.

Opening the front door, Lews saw Devra and started to walk over to her when he saw Harry lying on the stretcher looking very pale and weak. "Ilyena, Harry's been hurt! Devra what happened, he was supposed to be helping Mierin with some research project today?"

At that moment, a very worried looking Ilyena rushed out to meet them and taking one look at Harry "Why are you standing out here? Get him inside and take him to his bedroom!"

Blushing slightly at this reprimand from his wife, Lews knelt down and gently picked Harry up and carried him inside and up to his bedroom. Even though Harry was now 27 years old, he still remembered the malnourished, underweight 15 year old boy that had appeared out of nowhere and brought so much happiness into his home. Placing Harry gently on the bed, he bent down and kissed him on his forehead before walking downstairs to talk to Devra.

Hearing his wife and Devra speaking, he heard Devra say "He is ok, whatever he did though caused some minor brain hemorrhaging but Nemene was able to repair the damage. Now it is a simple case of exhaustion."

Entering the room, he asked "So there is no permanent damage?"

"There shouldn't be, once he is awake we will check his ability to channel but the chance of him burning himself out appears to be pretty low given how well he responded to the healing. He will be weak for a few days, but that should be the worst of it."

Letting out the breath Ilyena hadn't realize she was holding, she asked "What happened? I assume you found him at the Collam Daan?"

"I don't know. One of the researchers, Devon, Traveled to the Hall to get healers. There had been some accident and they didn't know if there were any injuries. As Nemene and I along with another healer were about to leave a second researcher arrived telling us where we were needed. We traveled to the main spire and arrived on the top floor. Nemene was directed to Harry while I and the other healer examined the other injured women. Beyond that, I don't have any information. We will have to wait for Harry to wake up."

"Devra, you look like you could use some rest yourself. Take your normal guest room and get some sleep. You won't do anyone any good in your current condition."

She was about to protest when a yawn escaped her control. Nodding in acquiescence, she went upstairs to her room after checking on Harry.

Lews and Ilyena followed her into Harry's bedroom. They both pulled chairs close to his bed, waiting for Harry to wake up. Luckily Aeron was visiting with a friend for the week so there was nothing to distract them.

A few hours later, Harry began to regain consciousness. Moaning softly, his eyes still closed, he felt his mum brush his hair back. "Harry, open your eyes." She said with tears in her voice.

"Mum, is that you?" He slowly opened his eyes to see his mum sitting next his bed in the dimly lit room. "How did I get here, what happened?" He croaked out.

"Devra brought you home. You were injured today at the Collam Daan and we were hoping you could tell us what happened." His father explained.

"Dad?" He asked looking over at his father. Clearly, he wasn't fully awake you but he was pulling it together.

"Yeah, it's me." Reaching out, he gave Harry's should a squeeze.

"I don't know everything that happened. We were in the circle, just like we had been practicing, when without any warning Mierin released everyone. All of us collapsed in exhaustion but I wasn't as bad off as the rest were. I heard screaming outside so I went to the balcony and I saw crowds of people screaming and pointing up at the sky. Looking up I saw the Sharom explode and black fire started spreading across the sky and shooting towards the ground right behind the falling debris. Since no one else was doing anything, I created a shield to cover the Collam Daan and the grounds to protect everyone from the debris and fire. It held until the end when a piece of debris finally shattered the shield and I pretty much passed out at that point. Do you know what happened to the rest of the circle or Mierin and Beidomon?"

Ilyena answered "The circle is fine. You were the most injured. We haven't heard anything about Mierin" she paused here making a sour face "or Beidomon. You stay here; I am going to go get us some food." Getting up she left the room.

His dad looked very pensive about something "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing I was just thinking about something. I will let you know if it pans out. Harry, I could not be more proud of you and I was so scared when I saw Devra bring you to the house on a stretcher. The thought of losing you…and I love Harry. I couldn't love you anymore if you were my son by blood."

Harry felt a warm glow hearing his dad say that. He knew they loved him, but every time he heard it, it filled him with a feeling of warmth and security. "Dad, there is something I wanted to tell you with mum not in the room. When I saw the Sharom explode and the black fire spreading everywhere, I got this sense of terrible hate and anger. Do you remember when I told you about Voldemort?"

"Yes, he was the dark wizard that killed your parents and tried to kill you."

"It felt similar to him. I mean it wasn't him, because my scar didn't hurt or anything, but it was that kind of unrelenting hatred and anger for everything. It was just pouring out everywhere. I don't know what happened in the Sharom, but I think whatever power they were looking for was not what they found or what they expected."

"Hopefully Mierin and Beidomon survived, they may be able to provide some answers."

"I hope so."

**2 days later**

Knocking on his father's office door, Harry entered "Dad, mom said you wanted to talk about something?"

Looking up, he noticed that Harry was swaying a little in the doorway. "Harry, sit down before you fall down." He said with some concern.

"I guess that I need a little more rest." Harry said as he sank into a chair with a sigh. "So, what did you need to talk to me about?" He asked again.

"What do you know about your final testing to be named Aes Sedai?"

"Not much, all I know is that it is a test of strength in the one power and response to grave situations. That is what we are told in classes, anything else is just rumors."

"Essentially, you are correct. As you know, you would not be put through the test until after your internship is complete in 3 years. Given the events of the last week, we have decided that you will go through as soon as possible."

Harry was stunned. This was the last thing he had expected. "What? Why?"

"You have to ask that after what you did last week? Most Aes Sedai would barely be able to channel after 3 hours of being in a circle. You not only channeled, but you were able create and hold a shield that saved the lives of over 2,000 researchers and onlookers." His face beaming with pride as he continued "This is exactly the type of behavior we look for during the test."

"I am not sure what you mean? You have to save people in order to pass the test?"

"It isn't that you saved people Harry. You had to be exhausted, in pain, and yet you put up a shield to protect not just yourself, but the entire Collam Daan and all the onlookers. The test looks at how you react to dire situations, do you freeze or do you keep a cool head and respond to the situation."

"I am not sure what to say. I didn't do anything that any other Aes Sedai wouldn't do." Harry protested.

"That's the point. You did exactly what we want Aes Sedai to do. You kept you head and did what needed to be done with no hesitation."

"So, when would I do take the test? What about my internship?"

"You will go through it sometime in the next two weeks. It is mostly dependent on your recovery. The internship will begin a week after your test, to give you a break."

Standing, Harry said "Well, in that case I am going back to bed."

Later, while Harry was resting there came a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in." He said sitting up.

Martin walked in with a guarded expression on his face. He had just heard from Durram that Harry was to be given the test to become Aes Sedai a full 2 ½ years early. Once again, Harry has to set himself above everyone, using his family's name to get whatever he wanted. "I've heard that congratulations are in order. You get to take the test early." Martin failed at keeping some of the resentment out his voice.

Not really paying attention, Harry sat up a little straighter on the bed before replying "They are not in order yet. I won't take the test for another week or so."

"As if you could possibly fail." He said bitterly.

"Why are you so upset? I didn't ask to be tested early."

"You didn't refuse it either. It's just another way to show how much better you are than everyone else. Last time it was your internship, now it is this early testing."

"What are you talking about, we don't choose our internships. They are chosen for us based on our abilities by the Hall." Harry said, voice growing in strength as he began to get angry.

"Oh Please. There is no way you or daddy would let Devra or I have something better than you. We were each given internships with the leading healer and blade master respectively, so you had to overshadow us again and be interned with the Tamrylin."

Finally losing his temper, Harry said in a nasty voice "Well maybe it is true what they say then."

"What is that?" asked Martin in spite of himself.

"Cream rises to the top and shit sinks to the bottom."

Martin froze at hearing that. Even though Harry hadn't really meant it, it seemed to confirm all of Martin's deep-seated fears that Harry was better than him and always would be. Eyes narrowed, Martin opened himself to Saidin and prepared to attack Harry.

Durram walked in at that point, having sensed someone channeling. Reading the tense and angry expressions on the two, he asked "What's going on here?"

Releasing Saidin, Martin said "Nothing. I was just telling Harry that I have decided to take you up on your offer to live in your home during the rest of my internship."

"In that case, why don't you pack your things?" After Martin left the room Durram continued "OK, what really happened. I can tell by your expression that you had no idea that Martin was moving into my home."

"Martin was jealous that I am being given the test early."

"Harry, you are going to have to expect that. There are going to be a lot of people that are jealous not only of your internship with the Tamrylin which is rare enough but now you are being given the test 2 ½ years early. Hopefully in the future you handle it better than you apparently did today." With that, Durram left the room and Harry to his thoughts.

Martin seeing Durram standing in his bedroom doorway said "I suppose you are here to ask me to apologize."

"No, I am here to offer advice. It is not wise to be so openly jealous or resentful of Harry or his father. They are too popular and highly thought of."

"What do you know about jealousy or resentment?"

"I too have seen positions that were rightfully mine go to Lews. I did not choose to take you on for your internship by accident. I recognize much of myself in you, especially the desire to prove yourself as every bit the equal of Harry. All I am saying is to be patient, our time will come."

**June, 38 PB 2 weeks later**

Lews knocked on Harry's bedroom door and walked in to see Harry fully dressed walking out of the attached bathroom. "Are you ready to go?"

Harry was nervous and a little pale, today he was going to be taking his test to become a full Aes Sedai. Nodding his head he said "Yeah I am."

"You'll be fine. Say goodbye to your mother and brother then we'll go."

Together they walked downstairs. They found Ilyena and Aeron in the dining room finishing up breakfast. His mum and brother could clearly see that Harry was nervous. Knowing that nothing she could say would help, she settled on a hug and "Good luck. Whatever happens, we are all very proud of you."

Aeron gave Harry a quick hug before running out of the room.

Laughing at Aeron's antics, Lews led Harry outside and opened a portal so they could Travel to the Hall. The two were met by the Keeper of the Chronicles, the Tamrylin's Chief of Staff who took them to the testing hall.

After Harry entered the hall, he stopped in awe in front of a massive _ter'angreal_, an artifact created for a specific purpose that uses the One Power, called Fate's Mirror. It was a massive cube with a single open face. The open face was 10x10 and would close once the test began. It was powered by a man and a woman working together.

The Tamrylin himself was present in addition to everyone else. It was one of his duties to oversee the testing. Noting the arrival of Harry and his father, he walked over to them to begin the test. "Normally, the test consists of two parts as you are no doubt aware. Through a unanimous decision by the counselors, we are waiving the first part. Clearly from your display at the Collam Daan, you possess more than sufficient control and strength in the One Power to be Aes Sedai."

He continued "The second part begins now. Harry James Potter-Telamon, you stand in the Hall of Testing and stand before the Tamrylin, what do you seek?"

"I see to prove myself worthy to be Aes Sedai." Harry said with a slight quiver in his voice.

"To do so, you must face your greatest fear. When you enter Fate's Mirror your knowledge of the test will be blocked, everything you experience will be real to you. Know this, not all who enter leave and of those that do, some are diminished or stilled. Is it still your desire to prove yourself worthy?"

"It is." Harry said simply.

"Then enter Fate's Mirror and be judged." As the Tamrylin finished the Aes Sedai standing on either side of the _ter'angreal_ began to channel and power it up. Taking a deep breath, Harry entered and was swallowed in darkness as test began.

When his eyesight returned, Harry realized he was on the grounds of Hogwarts. Strangely, despite that fact that it was a beautiful summer day, none of the students were outside at the lake or the quidditch pitch. Curious, Harry entered Hogwarts.

Harry did not encounter any teachers or students as he entered the castle. With a mounting sense of dread, he made his way to the Great Hall. Perhaps the end of year feast had started early. As he neared the door, he heard a voice he recognized yell out _Avada Kedavra_.

Throwing the doors open, Harry entered to hall to find Voldemort near the head table standing over the dead body of Albus Dumbledore. Quickly scanning the room, he counted 12 other death eaters keeping the students in line.

Looking up, Voldemort said is hissing voice "Ahhh, Harry Potter, so good of you to join us. I am afraid you are too late to save your headmaster."

"It's me you want Tom, let the students go." Harry said.

"I don't think so. They should have the honor of seeing the last hope of the wizarding world die, don't you think?" Before Harry could respond, Voldemort, red eyes blazing whipped his arm around yelling _Avada Kedavra._

Harry rolled out of the way and channeled Saidin into to a powerful shield protecting the students and separating them from the death eaters. Seeing that they the students were safe for the moment, he tied off the shield and channeled again, his hands began to glow with a crackling blue light. He was forced to dodge as one of the other death eaters cried out _Diffindo_, aiming the cutting curse at his back. As he dodged, he channeled more power into his right hand and threw it forward at one of the death eaters. The energy left his hand as an incandescent lightning bolt that blew threw the death eater's hastily erected shield and slammed into him, burning a hole threw his chest. Throwing his left fist in the direction of Voldemort he through another lightning bolt. This one flew to the left of Voldemort missing him to blast a hole in the back wall.

"Disable him, but I will finish him off." Yelled Voldemort as the remaining Death Eaters began throwing a combination of spells, _Diffindos_, _Crucios_, _Stupefys_, and _Sectumsempras_.

Harry created another shield, knowing it couldn't last long against the onslaught of 11 death eaters. He channeled again, using flows from all 5 elements. A dark grey storm cloud began roiling over his head. It would spin and churn, collapsing in on itself only to expand outward and go through the cycle again. When he his shield was about to collapse, Harry severed the flows feeding the cloud. It collapsed in on itself one final time with a deafening clap of thunder that echoed off the walls. Before the death eaters could take any action, lighting exploded out and struck each death eater burning through clothes, searing flesh, and shattering bone.

"Well done Potter, I didn't know you had it in you. What would your dear deceased headmaster say if he knew you were a killer? No better than me." He taunted as he threw a _Crucio_ at Harry's shield only to have it shatter and followed it up quickly with an _Avada Kedavra_.

Harry rolled away from the _Avada Kedavra_, which left a smoking hole in the floor where he had been standing. Once again channeling flows of air, he solidified the air around Voldemort trapping his arms at his side, preventing him from casting more spells.

Voldemort was enraged that Potter had immobilized but he looked to a corner of the great hall waiting for his surprise to make an appearance. Suddenly, the flows that Harry was channeling were severed as if by a scalpel and they snapped back into him causing him to grunt and sink to one knee in pain.

Harry couldn't believe it. Walking over to the head table to stand next to Voldemort was "Martin?"

"You know Martin died the day the Hall sentenced him for V'Saine and Acheron was born. It is time for you to reap that which you have sown. I only wish your father was here to see you on your knees before me when I finally kill you."

This was Martin, his friend. But his friend was fighting for Voldemort. Seeing Harry's indecision, Acheron channeled and bar of brilliant white fire swept from his hands towards Harry. Recognizing the weave for Balefire, Harry dodged out of the way and channeled fire and earth into the floor beneath Acheron and Voldemort. At first nothing happened and then the floor began to quake throwing the two off the feet. Pouring more power into his attack, the floor cracked and magma began to pour out, burning wood chairs and tables, and scorching rock as it flowed toward the two men.

Acheron was the first to react; he channeled flows of water and air into ice to cool the magma. Meanwhile, Voldemort had finished freeing himself from the severed flows of air and started carpeting the area with spells, throwing a blasting hex followed by a _reducto_, another _diffindo_ and ending with an _Avada Kedavra_.

Jumping and dodging, Harry managed to avoid the first two spells before getting hit on the left thigh by the _diffindo _and rolling out of the way of the AK. He could tell his injury was bad, he was losing blood quickly and he was losing feeling in his leg. Knowing he wouldn't be able to stay conscious much longer, never mind keeping the two occupied without jeopardizing the students or the building, he decided to try a different tactic.

Recognizing Acheron as the more dangerous opponent, he opened a portal next to Acheron by the head table. As the portal formed and expanded, it sliced through everything in its path like a razor blade. Before he recognized what Harry had done, the portal expanded into its full size slicing clean through Acheron's body, severing his right arm and leg along with a portion of his torso. Acheron's head turned towards Harry as he felt the portal slice right into him and then he collapsed on the floor and died, his eyes filled with hate never leaving Harry's face.

Voldemort, seeing his ally cut down fled the scene via portkey.

Seeing there were no more threats, Harry released the shield protecting the students and proceeded to collapse as Hogwarts faded and he was returned to the plain interior of Fate's Mirror.

With the test complete, the face of the Mirror once again opened and a healer rushed into examine Harry. Seeing him collapsed on the floor with a deep cut on his left thigh, he channeled and healed his injuries. With a little help, Harry was able to stand. He saw the Tamrylin walk over to him along with his father.

The Tamrylin intoned "You have been found worthy by Fate's Mirror. You have faced your fears and kept true to yourself. Today you join us an equal. Today you have become Aes Sedai."

Turning to his father, the Tamrylin said, "Lews would you like the honor of placing the ring?"

With a smile breaking across his face, his father said "Today, you are given the symbol of the Aes Sedai; this ring shows the world that you have been found worthy to be Aes Sedai. Wear it well and make us proud to be your sisters and brothers." He then slipped the ring, shaped like a serpent biting its tail, onto the ring finger of Harry's right hand.

The ceremony complete, Lews grabbed Harry in a hug and whispered "Congratulations" into his ear. "Let's get you home." Supporting Harry, the two walked out to the Travel point and went home.

After getting Harry home and to bed, Lews went back down to talk to Ilyena. He found her walking into the kitchen from the garden. Seeing Lews standing in the kitchen, she felt a wave of apprehension, if he was here, that meant the test was over. "Did he pass?"

"Yes he did." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his waist before giving her a soft kiss. Resting his chin on her head, he added "Everything is ok. He is Aes Sedai now."

They both jumped as they heard a scream from upstairs. Before Ilyena could move or say anything, Lews said "Don't. Let me talk to him." Heading back upstairs, he found Harry sitting up in his bed, hugging his knees to his chest with a far away expression on his face. "Harry?"

"Was it real?" He asked without looking at his father.

Sitting on the bed next to Harry, he put an arm around his shoulder and answered "No one knows. Some people see events from their past and others see things that have yet to occur. What was it that you saw?"

"I saw Martin joining with Voldemort and the hatred that he had for me was overwhelming."

"Harry, what you saw is not a certainty. I believe that what you saw is one possible path for the future. Just remember that nothing is set in stone, the future is shaped by our decisions and now knowing one possible future, you can shape yours to prevent it."

**1 week later**

Harry was greeted by the Keeper as he arrived at the Hall of Servants for the first day of his internship with the Tamrylin. The Keeper was an aging Aes Sedai with long grey hair and coffee colored eyes. She was wearing a simple floor length forest green dress with gold stitching running up the arms. "Excellent you are here right on time. The Tamrylin wishes to speak with you right away."

Entering the Tamrylin's office, Harry was directed to a chair in front of his desk. Nodding to the Keeper who left the office, "Harry, I wanted to discuss your internship. Because you are now an Aes Sedai, your internship will be somewhat unorthodox. I am giving you the position of junior counselor. You will participate in meetings, serve as an aide and will provide your opinion on issues as they arise."

"I understand. What will happen after your term ends next year? You have been clear on the fact that you are not seeking another term."

"Your internship will continue regardless of who takes over. Do you have any other questions?"

"Yes, I do sir. Were you able to find either Mierin or Beidomon? I asked my father but he didn't have any information."

"We have kept information regarding the event within the Hall. Since you are now a junior counselor and were involved in the event, you have a right to now. Beidomon was killed during the destruction of the Sharom. Mierin, sensing something was wrong cut loose your circle and Traveled to a safe location abandoning you and Beidomon."

"What will happen to her?" Outwardly calm, Harry was furious was Mierin's actions.

"Unfortunately, she did not commit any crime as such; however she had a trial earlier this week. The jury found her guilty of conduct unbecoming an Aes Sedai. Accordingly, she has been stripped of her rank within the Aes Sedai and assigned to the cleanup crew at V'Saine."

**2 months later**

Harry was sitting in a meeting with the Tamrylin and his other counselors. They were currently discussing V'Saine and the rising level of violence. "Do we know what is causing the rise in violence?" Asked counselor Fator.

The Tamrylin answered, "No we haven't. So far it is not occurring in any other city. In the last two months, V'Saine has had over a 100 people murdered and the number of assaults is over 1,000. As with all our other cities, this is the first time in over a century that there have been more than a handful of murders in a year, let alone two months."

Harry offered "Maybe it is time to replace the military governor. If the violence is rising that dramatically, we need someone stronger in the governor's seat."

"Is that really the answer? Increase the military presence, declare marshal law?" Counselor Jirkon asked.

"We need someone who can maintain order while we find out the reason for the increasing violence."

"Who would you suggest we assign?" The Tamrylin asked. He was inclined to agree with Harry.

"Durram Laddel Cham and his Second-In-Command Martin Tel Barad. Durram has served as military governor of Comelle and Devaille, two of the largest cities behind Paaran Disen. I also think we need to continue research into the aftereffects of the 'Bore'" as the drilling through the pattern was now being called. "It can't be a coincidence that the only city to see such a drastic rise in violence is the same as the 'Bore.'"

"Unless anyone disagrees, I will speak with Durram this afternoon. He should be at V'Saine before the week is out."

That evening while Harry was eating dinner with his family, Martin arrived. Seeing the angry look on his face, Harry stepped outside to talk with him.

"Martin, what are you doing here? I figured you would be packing for V'Saine."

Martin's eyes narrowed "How would you know that? Oh that's right; you have the ear of the Tamrylin. What's wrong, worried that Durram would beat your father in the election for the next Tamrylin so you had to get him and me out of the way?"

"No!" Harry responded, truly shocked. "The situation in V'Saine is getting worse and Durram has the most experience as military governor, that's why I recommended him."

"How nice of you to allow us the honor of cleaning up your mess!"

"My mess, what are you talking about?"

"The 'Bore' of course, it was your circle that was responsible for its creation, but now Durram and I get to clean up after you." He said bitterly.

"What happened to us Martin, we used to be friends?"

"I finally woke up and realized you were just using me a stepping stone to make yourself look good." Turning away, Martin stormed off and opened a portal.

Before he could leave, Harry shouted "Martin, my father doesn't need any help to win an election against Durram. Everyone can see who the better man is."

Martin stiffened briefly before stepping through the portal and releasing it to close behind him.

**November, 33 PB – The Collapse**

Durram had been the military governor of V'Saine for more than 5 years. He had done an admirable job is stemming the increase in violence. Now, despite his best efforts, the city was sinking into anarchy. Gangs of men had begun roving the streets assaulting those unfortunate enough to cross their paths. Murders and rapes were being committed on a daily basis. Neighbors were swapping family members when possible because it was not uncommon for the gangs to force family members to rape each other in order to survive.

During those same 5 years, research into the 'Bore' had been ongoing. It did not seem to be the source of hatred and anger as once thought. A nearby mountain, that had been renamed Shayol Ghul, seemed to be the true source. It was widely rumored that a being none only as the Dark One ruled in that mountain.

None of the expeditions that had gone to search out the mountain had ever returned. The influence seemed to be spreading, day after day more citizens in the city gave into their anger and hate and joined one of the gangs.

"Martin, we are going to have to take stronger measures if we are to keep this city from destroying itself."

"What did you have in mind? We instituted marshal law 3 years ago and it no longer seems as effective as it once was."

"I think it is time to start fighting fire with fire. It is time we stopped coddling these criminals. Notify me when we have captured the next group. If they only respect power and violence then we will show them that the Aes Sedai are capable of more than they ever imagined."

"As you command and for what it's worth, I agree with you. It has been almost six years now and we have received virtually no support from the Hall. If they are going to ignore the problem and bury their heads' in the sand, then we need take whatever actions are necessary to prevent the collapse of the city."

Noting the younger man's tension, Durram decided to change the topic "Have you heard from Devra recently?"

At the mere sound of her name, Martin relaxed "Yes, she is going to be later this week."

Smiling at the effect the young woman had on Martin, he asked "Have you set a date for the wedding yet?"

_Flashback_

_March, 36 PB_

_Martin was sitting at his desk when he heard a knock on the door. He and Durram had been in place for over a year now and while they had not been able to halt the violence and crime that had swept across the city in the wake of the 'Bore', they had prevented it from escalating. "Come in."_

"_Martin, I am not disturbing you am I? Durram said I would find you in here, buried in the paperwork." Devra said with a wide grin. _

_He took a moment to drink in her features, she would never be considered beautiful but to Martin she was everything he had always wanted. Her cheerful, open disposition always managed to lighten his mood and she never made him feel that he was second best. "Of course not, what are you doing here?"_

"_Nemene and I have been assigned here to help you and Durram and assist with the research into the effects of the 'Bore.'"_

"_That is excellent news. I can always use the company of a lovely woman. It gets a little lonely with only Durram."_

"_Well, in that case how about we go to dinner tonight and you can show me around the city."_

_Eyes sparkling, Martin replied "I would be delighted to escort you to dinner my lady."_

_Nemene and Devra would end up staying in V'Saine for more than 3 years before being assigned elsewhere. During those 3 years, Devra had tried many times to reconcile Martin and Harry, who Martin now referred to only as Telamon. "Martin, what happened with you and Harry? You used to be such good friends."_

"_I finally realized some basic truths about our relationship. He wasn't happy about that and confirmed my feelings." Martin said without elaborating further._

"_You make it sound as if he was using you. I just don't see Harry doing that."_

"_There are many things about Telamon that you don't see. He uses whoever is around him for his own gain." He said hotly. "I am not going to make you choose between him and me, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Telamon force you into that position. At that point, I only hope you remember how much I love you."_

"_But…" She was cut off as Martin broke in "No, until you see who he really is, I don't want to talk about him. I don't want him to ruin my time with you."_

_Sighing, Devra nodded and dropped the subject. Over time she resigned herself to the fact that her best friend and her lover were now virtual enemies._

_For Martin and Devra, it was three of the happiest years of their lives as they spent most nights in each other's company, growing closer and eventually falling in love. Shortly before she was reassigned, Martin proposed to Devra and she accepted._

_End Flashback_

"No, with all the tension and rise in violence we keep putting it off. There is just too much going on and with Nemene's betrayal, Devra is traveling more than ever."

"I still can't believe that Nemene joined the Dark One. She was one of our greatest healers. But her methods may be useful in obtaining information from the captured gang members"

_Flashback_

_Devra and Nemene had been in V'Saine for two years now. Devra had begun to notices differences in Nemene a few months back. She was no longer as concerned about the well-being of their patients. It almost seemed that she was looking for something when she was healing them._

_As time passed, Devra noticed that Nemene's patients seemed nervous in her presence almost fearful. They never said anything negative about her or her treatments though. Devra was becoming more concerned about Nemene's actions daily. _

_Since they had arrived in V'Saine, she had noticed many people began to change. Their personalities became darker, more self-involved. It may have been the influence of the 'Bore' she wasn't sure but it seemed that people were more willing to give into their hate and jealousy. She had even noticed a change in Martin and though she tried to deny, he scared her at times with his hate for Harry and his father._

_Devra began investigating Nemene's activities. She interviewed her patients after she had finished with them and could never find anything physically wrong. However, the patients seemed to get worse emotionally, at first, there would just be some mild apprehension when her name was mentioned, but as the months rolled by, her patients began to show true fear at the sound of her name. Realizing she would never get any details out of the patients, she decided to witness one of her treatments for herself._

_The fateful day arrived and Devra entered the room used by Nemene without knocking. If there was nothing going on, she could come up with an excuse for barging in. Unfortunately, when she opened the door, she was greeted by a blood-chilling scream. The patient was laying on the examination table naked. _

_Nemene had not noticed her entrance at this point, Devra quickly opened herself to Saidar and sent weaves of healing energy into the patient. She discovered that Nemene's weave was steadily stimulating the pain receptors in the patient, causing them to experience a constantly rising level of pain. _

_Nemene spun around and said in anger "What are you doing in here? I am never to be disturbed when I am with a patient."_

_Reacting before Nemene could do anything else, Devra spun a shield of spirit and slid it into place, cutting Nemene off from Saidar. As this happened, the patient let out a shuddering breath as the pain finally ceased. "Why?"_

"_It is just a small price they pay for my services. I give them the gift of life, who are you to say that I am not due this small form of payment?"_

_Nemene would go on trial before the Hall of Servants and because they could not get any of her patients to testify, she was given the opportunity to take exile or the Oath Rod. She responded "I will never again be bound by the useless rules of the Hall. I choose exile."_

_That night, she made her way to Shayol Ghul and pledged herself to the Great Lord of the Dark, giving up her existence as Nemene Damendar Boann and embracing her new identify as Semirhage, chosen of the Great Lord._

_End Flashback _

Martin issued the orders that day to the soldiers. "You are to bring your captives to either myself or Durram for interrogation. Hopefully we will be able to use that information in order to break the power of the gangs and secure the city once more."

"Yes sir." The officers turned and left the room.

As with all things, the actions of Durram and Martin began to escalate. When the information gained through the 'interrogation' proved to be of little use, the two men began to employ harsher methods.

"Durram, we need change our tactics. The criminals we are capturing no longer respond as they once did to the threat of pain.

"I agree. Before you begin the next interrogation, arrest the prisoner's family. Perhaps they will be more forthcoming if it is their family members in pain." Durram mused.

Devra was often on hand for these interrogation sessions when she was in town. She was needed to restore the prisoner to health afterwards. While it made her sick that the prisoners would be treated in such a way, she rationalized it away saying that they were criminals and the information was used to protect innocent lives. That night, Devra watched with growing dismay as Martin put the new orders into effect. A man looked on as his family was tortured into incoherence.

Making up her mind that night, Devra knew she had to tell someone what was going on. The next morning, she woke up with Martin's arms wrapped around her. Wanting nothing more than to forget the events of the past night, she sighed and slid away from Martin without waking him up. Once she had cleaned up and eaten a quick breakfast, she Traveled to the Hall to speak with Harry.

Harry's star had risen. He was the youngest counselor to the Tamrylin. Many would have questioned his position had he not been a counselor before the most recent election. Martin had indeed been correct when suggested that Lews Therin Telamon would be up for the office, but Harry had done nothing to help him. Currently, Harry was going over the latest reports on V'Saine and the 'Bore,' when his aide knocked on the door.

"Counselor Telamon, a Devra Sedai is here to see you."

He hadn't seen Devra for a few months now wondering what prompted the unexpected visit he said "Of course, send her in."

Once Devra walked in, Harry stood and walked over to her, giving her a tight hug. "It's great to see you, but what are you doing here? I thought you were still in V'Saine?"

"I am, I have been helping Durram and Martin with the health of the prisoners. That is why I came." She looked down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes.

"Devra, what's wrong? Surely it can't be that bad." Harry had a sinking feeling when she looked up be still refused to meet his eyes.

Not knowing how to begin, Devra just began blurting things out "Durram and Martin are using the same weave developed by Nemene to torture and interrogate prisoners. Now they are torturing the families of prisoners as well to get information."

"How do you know these things? Are you sure they aren't just rumors?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer but not wanting to admit it.

"Yes, I am ashamed to say, that I participated in many of the sessions. When they started torturing the families, I couldn't rationalize it any longer." Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Devra we need to take this to my father. I don't have the authority to call for their arrest."

Devra nodded and stood up a little shakily. Together they made their way to the Tamrylin's office to see his father. Once inside, Harry began in a formal voice "Sir, Devra has come to me with some chilling accounts of the actions taken by the military governor of V'Saine."

Taken aback by Harry's demeanor, Lews responded in a similar tone "Devra what actions is counselor Telamon referring to."

Devra repeated the story she had just told to Harry. Once again, she began to cry softly as she described her own participation in the events.

Pondering the situation for a moment, Lews asked "Devra, would any of the officers be willing to back up your story? We will need more that your testimony."

"Yes, there are a number of officers that are very uncomfortable with their current orders. Many had approached me because of my relationship with Martin and my participation in Nemene's arrest."

"Counselor Telamon, see to it that those men are placed in protective custody. Once that is done, issue an order for the arrest of Durram Laddel Cham, military governor of V'Saine and Martin Tel Barad his second-in-command.

**July, 32 PB**

Durram and Martin walked into the Hall that morning to face their accusers. Seeing both Telamon and the Dragon in their positions as a counselor and the Tamrylin, Martin sneered at them before taking his seat next to Durram.

Seeing that everyone had arrived and was in their place, the Dragon rose from his chair and said "The Hall has gathered today to judge the evidence presented against two of our own. Durram Laddel Cham and Martin Tel Barad you both stand accused of multiple counts of torture, abuse of power, assault, and conspiracy. How do you plead?"

Both Durram and Martin stood and in unison said "Not guilty."

"Let the trial begin. Counselor Telamon, please present your case."

Standing Harry said "I call for the testimony of Devra Har Serac"

At the appearance of Devra, Martin took on a look of utter betrayal as she walked up to the witness stand. It was clear to Martin, that she had chosen Telamon over him. Once again, Telamon had taken what was rightfully his.

With a sad look at Martin, Devra approached the front of the chamber and took the witness seat. "Devra, please describe the events of this last May as you witnessed them."

Never meeting Martin's eyes, Devra described the orders that he and Durram had given to have the prisoners tortured for information and then executed for their crimes.

Getting no questions from Martin or Durram, Devra returned to her seat. Harry presented a string of witnesses to the various acts of torture and assault either committed directly by the two men or under their orders.

Neither of the two men presented any witnesses. They had nothing but contempt for the group of assembled Aes Sedai.

Rising the Dragon asked "Do you have anything to say before the Hall passes judgment?"

By prior agreement, Durram was to speak for the two. Standing and taking a moment to look at the assembled Aes Sedai he said "We have done nothing more than that which you have requested. 6 years ago, you assigned me as the military governor of V'Saine. You wanted someone who would maintain order and do whatever was necessary to prevent the violence from escalating out of control and spreading to other cities."

He continued "That is what we did. For six years you turned a blind eye to the violence of the city. For six years you ignored the problem and let us deal with it. For six years, you hid your heads under the sand. Now you want to judge us for dealing with a problem you refused to acknowledge? You are nothing but a contemptible group of cowards who are willing to watch our society fall apart so you don't have to bloody your hands. So today, Martin and I are your scapegoats, but who will it be tomorrow?" Finishing he sat down.

After listening to Durram, the counselors and Tamrylin left the Hall for deliberation, returning a short time later. Once again, the Dragon spoke "You have been found guilty on all counts. You are hereby stripped of your title and rank. In recognition of your past service, you are offered the choice of being stilled or taking the Oath Rod."

Durram said "I will take the Oath Rod. You may call me a criminal today, but all will know who the real criminals are."

Martin also decided to take the Oath Rod.

So, the Oath Rod was brought forth and each man stood to recite the oath, pledging to never use the one power to harm another human being and to follow all commands issued by the Tamrylin. As each recited the oath while holding the rod, they could feel Saidin surge in them, enforcing the oath preventing them from breaking it. At the end, both men were staring at the instruments of their downfall, Harry and his father.

Durram was entirely correct in his description of the failings of the Hall. With the draconian measures he and Martin had put into place rescinded, V'Saine fell into anarchy with days of their arrest. People were fleeing the city with whatever they could carry and those that didn't flee the city either joined one of the many gangs or were killed. With the population dwindling, the gangs turned on each and open warfare was seen on the streets. At night, fires lit the sky as homes and businesses burned. Soon nothing would be left of V'Saine but a smoking ruin a testament to the inaction characterizing the Hall of Servants.

Following the trial, the two men returned to Durram's room. During that time, Durram made his decision.

"Martin, I have decided to pledge myself to the dark. I leaving tonight to Travel to V'Saine and enter Shayol Ghul. There I will make my pledge to the Great Lord of the Dark. I would like you to come with me."

Realizing that he had no real choice in the matter, Martin agreed. He knew that Durram was stronger than he was and that he would not have let him live with the knowledge of his defection if Martin had decided differently.

That night, both Traveled to V'Saine and made their way into Shayol Ghul. Along the way they passed hordes of trollocs and men sworn to serve the Great Lord. Finally they came to the pit where they would make their pledge. Looking up, they could see the night sky but strangely it was devoid of any clouds or stars.

Standing here in this place, both Durram and Martin could feel the presence of the Great Lord wash over them, filling them with his hatred and power. Durram made the pledge first. As he recited the oath, forsaking all other ties to the light and the Aes Sedai, he heard a voice in his head and was overcome with a feeling of ecstasy.

"Arise, Durram Laddel Cham. I have found you worthy of my service. From this day forward, you are Durram Laddel Cham no longer. Henceforth, you are Belal, chosen of the Great Lord and general of the human armies." With that, Belal could feel the restrictions placed upon him by the Oath Rod fall away.

After witnessing his mentor's pledge, Martin knelt down and repeated the oath. As with Belal, he heard a voice in his head. "Arise, Martin Tel Barad. I have found you worthy of my service. From this day forward, you are Martin Tel Barad no longer. Henceforth, you are Acheron, chosen of the Great Lord second to Belal in command of the human armies." As with Belal, he too was released from the Oath Rod and was free once more.

Hearing that his place was by his mentor's side in command of the armies confirmed his decision to abandon the Aes Sedai. After the trial, he never would have risen to a position of power. Bowing his head, Acheron turned toward his mentor, Belal, "Finally, we will take our rightful place as the leaders of our world."

Once again kneeling, Belal asked his lord "Great Lord, what would you have us do?"

"Assemble my forces and burn the city of Devaille to the ground. All who are willing to take the oath to serve me are to be spared. Any others will be used to feed the trollocs. Aginor has prepared the trolloc brigades, they await your orders. My shadow will spread to cover this world and tomorrow it will begin. Lanfear can provide you with intelligence on their defenses."

_Flashback_

_Ishar Morrad Chuain had been a researcher at the Collam Daan focusing his efforts on bioengineering. He was one of the first Aes Sedai to succumb to the influence from Shayol Ghul. Believing that the restrictions placed upon his research by the Hall were unnecessary, he pledged himself to the Great Lord so that he could experiment freely and bring his creations to life. On that day, Ishar died to be replaced by the chosen Aginor._

_With his new found freedom, one of the first things that he did was to blend humans with animal stock. After much experimentation and loss of life, he finally succeeded in creating the trollocs, beast men that would serve the Great Lord with unswerving loyalty. _

_The trollocs were a combination of animals and man, displaying characteristics of both but dominated by the blood-thirsty nature of a predator._

_The Great Lord was pleased. Trollocs would make an excellent addition to his growing army._

_End Flashback_

Standing, Belal saw a figure emerge from the tunnel, "Mierin, is that you?"

"Like you, I could not stand to be humbled before the Hall. I took my oath a few months after I was stripped of my rank. You can call me Lanfear now. Come follow me, we can have some wine and discuss what needs to be done."

The two men followed Lanfear from the pit into a side room where she poured each of them a glass of wine.

After taking a sip and turning to Acheron, Belal said "Prepare the troops to move out at midnight tonight."

"What is the target? How are we getting there?" He asked with an eager gleam in his eye.

"Tomorrow, barring any unforeseen difficulties, we will be taking Devaille. After midnight, anyone who is able will open a portal to a rallying point outside of the city and maintain that portal allowing our forces and the trolloc brigades through."

"Are there any prominent Aes Sedai in the city that we need to be aware of?"

Lanfear answered "Currently, the only one we are aware of is the healer Devra. I believe she was one of your friends. Maybe you could have a reunion. They have no military presence to speak of; a small police force is used to keep the peace."

His body tensing at the name, Acheronlooked down when we felt something splash across his had. Without realizing it, he had crushed the delicate wine goblet, spilling its contents. "I look forward to dealing with that traitorous bitch. She should never have sided with Telamon!"

"The Dragon and his whelp will regret the day they humbled us before the Hall of Servants. Punishing us for doing what they were incapable of." Eyes blazing with malice, Belal went on "By the time we are through with them, they will be begging to serve the Great Lord!"

Taking a somewhat nervous step back from the look on Belal's face, Acheron added "I don't want to see Telamon humbled before the Great Lord. I want him kneeling at my feet broken and bloody."

"Don't worry, we will have our revenge. By this time tomorrow both of them will know the strength of the coming darkness and they will cower before the might of our armies. Our time has come."

**Outside Devaille the next morning**

Devaille was not a particularly large city. At its height it had approximately 500,000 people and had a low wall encircling the city providing minimal protection. The wall was enough to keep out ground vehicles such as the Jo-Cars, so forces of the Great Lord would be advancing on foot.

Belal and Acheron were in command of a force of 10,000 men and over 3,000 trollocs. In addition they had 30 Aes Sedai on hand to add to the chaos. As dawn began to creep over the land, the army was in place, ready to storm the city. Belal would oversee the battle from the rallying point while Acheron would lead their troops into the fray.

"On my signal, send the trollocs in through the breach I am about to open." Opening himself to Saidin, Belal channeled flows of earth and fire and focused on the wall, a fireball the size of a city block blossomed in the morning at the base of the city wall. The explosion echoed for miles as the wall blew apart.

Acheron, smiling at the damage done in the opening attack, ordered the trollocs into the breach. Roaring and snarling, the beast men charged through the opening into the city. Waiting a few minutes for the trollocs to disperse into the city, Acheron ordered his men to follow.

**Inside Devaille**

Devra woke abruptly at the sound of a loud explosion. Rushing outside, she saw the fireball rising into the sky and debris from the wall raining down. Going back inside, she quickly got dressed and went to go see if there were any injuries.

Once she reached the first cross-street, she began to hear screams from the victims of the trollocs. Filling herself with Saidar, the female half of the One Power, she prepared herself and ran on. Ahead of her, two trollocs burst out of a house, carrying the body of young girl already dead and the head of who must have been the girl's mother. As they left, smoke began to pour out of the home.

Reacting on instinct, Devra channeled weaves of air and water into the two trollocs, splitting them apart from the inside. With roars of pain and anguish, the two trollocs died as their limbs were ripped from the bodies. Hoping against hope, she channeled healing weaves into the girl. Her hands began to glow brighter and brighter as she poured more power into the girl, but she was already dead.

Finally giving up, she stood up and moved on to see if there was anyone to save.

Elsewhere, Acheron was searching for Devra. He had sensed a woman channeling nearby and he grinned in anticipation. Coming up to a crossroads, he saw a family running from a group of his soldiers. Channeling, he pulled flows of fire into his hands. As his body began to take on a reddish glow, he pulled more Saidin into himself. Rushing forward towards the family, his hands wreathed in flames, he grabbed the arm of the father. Quickly, the flames spread from his hand up the fathers arm, covering him in flame. Unlike Acheron, the flames burned flesh and bone, reducing the man to ash in a matter of seconds.

Changing the flows of fire, he channeled the fire into a bar of flame that he swept across the legs of the mother and son. The two collapsed to the ground as their legs charred and blackened, unable to support their weight. Laughing, Acheron turned towards the soldiers and said "They're all yours boys." Having sensed a woman channeling again, he moved off towards Devra.

Devra hearing more screams, unwittingly ran in the direction of Acheron. Two blocks later, she saw him, calmly walking towards her. "Martin, what are you doing here? With the oaths in place, there is nothing you can do to help."

"Who said I am here to help? I just came to watch the boys have some fun." Channeling a flow of air, he slammed a solid block of air into Devra, slamming her back into a wall."

Dazed she asked "Martin why are you doing this?"

"Martin died the day the Hall found us guilty. On that day, Acheron, servant of the Great Lord of the Dark was born." Channeling again, he slid a shield into place blocking her connection to Saidar.

Screaming as she felt Martin, no Acheron, sever her connection to Saidar, "Martin it's not too late. You can stop this and help me save these people."

"I don't want to stop. I am only getting started and when I am done with you, Telamon will regret the day he turned against me." Grinning, he channeled flows of fire once again, and started to burn the skin from Devra's body being careful to leave her face intact. Thankfully, she quickly passed out from pain and blood loss, but Acheron continued his work.

When he was done, he had her body tied to the outer wall of the city for display. Not wanting to be bored, he went to go assist his men once more.

**Outside Devaille**

Belal watched as his forces charged into the city and began the rampage. Flames started to light the sky as the city began to burn. He felt someone channeling as a portal opened nearby. He turned to see Semirhage, Lanfear, and Aginor step through the portal.

Laughing as he watched the flames spread, he said "Isn't it glorious? Today marks the beginning the Great Lord's reign." Smiles spread across the faces of the rest of the group as they stood next to Belal and watched Devaille burn. Ashes rose from the city creating great black clouds in the sky spreading the shadow across the land.


	5. Rising Tide of Darkness

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) anything related to Rowling's Harry Potter or Jordan's Wheel of Time.**

**Chapter 5: Rising Tide of Darkness**

**July, 32 PB Night after attack on Devaille**

Before falling asleep, Harry entered _Tel'aran'rhiod_. He hadn't spoken to James and Lily in a while and his missed them. Even though he loved them, he didn't think of them as his parents anymore, Lews and Ilyena were his dad and mum. After 18 years or so, it was hard to think or feel differently.

Arriving in the alley in Paaran Disen that they frequently met in, he called out "James? Lily?" He waited for a few minutes and after receiving no response he called out again "James, are you here?"

"Harry? I think James has been spun into the pattern again. I haven't seen him for quite some time now. What are you doing here?" Lily asked concern evident in her voice as she stepped into view and glanced around the empty alley.

Harry spun around at the sound of Lily's voice to find her standing at the entrance of the alley. "It has been a while since I visited you and James. Do I need an excuse to talk with you?"

"Of course you don't and it has been wonderful getting to know my son, but _Tel'aran'rhiod_ is no longer safe. Those who have sworn themselves to the shadow now walk in the dream world."

"What do you mean?"

"I have followed some of them; they use this place for clandestine meetings and for spying."

"Other than Mierin, I am one of the strongest Dreamers alive, so I should be safe."

"I hope so, I don't want to loose you or see you become part of the wheel just yet."

"Lily, if James has been spun out again, then that must mean you will be too. I suppose that means that dangerous times are ahead. Because we would never want my life to be boring now would we." He said grumbling to himself.

She always felt an ache in heart, knowing that Harry called someone else mum and dad. With a bittersweet smile at her son's attitude, Lily said "Harry, I think you are right and because I may not be here the next time you come looking for me. There are some things I need to share with you."

"What do you mean? Do you know something is going to happen?"

Lily paused, unsure of how to begin. Seeing her indecision, Harry prompted "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Just start from the beginning."

"Harry, I am afraid James and I weren't entirely honest with you when we first met you here. You see, we met you for the first time in _Tel'aran'rhiod_ back in the 20th century. You were 37 years old at the time."

"How is that possible? Unless that means that around 4 years from now, I am going to be transported back to my original time." Harry mused, not entirely happy with the information.

"You're correct. I don't know when exactly but sometime after your 37th birthday, you will be going back to the 20th century." She paused here to give Harry a moment to process the information.

"But, my family is here, I am not sure I belong there anymore." Harry said worriedly.

"Harry, I said you would go back, I didn't say you would stay there. I am not sure what happens to you because you stop contacting us. Even if something were to happen and you lost the ability to channel, you would still be able to enter _Tel'aran'rhiod_ since it is not dependent on the One Power. There is another reason, but I need to show you something first. Take my hand." She instructed.

After Harry grabbed her hand, she took them to Devaille. Harry felt _Tel'aran'rhiod_ shift around them as they arrived at their new location. It appeared to Harry that they were in the ruins of some city. Because the dream world was a reflection of the real world, it showed the devastation that had befallen Devaille. "Where are we, I wasn't aware that there were ruins this extensive anywhere."

"This is Devaille. The Dark One is rising Harry, this was his first move against the forces of Light." She said softly.

Harry's face fell as he took in the total destruction of the city. "Oh my god, when did this happen?"

"You know time is different here, but I will say that this is very recent so it probably occurred within the last week in the real world. There is more that I need to tell you. I don't know what is coming; I only know it is going to be bad. Already you have seen some of the effects such as your friend Martin and Uncle Durram resorting to such brutal means to maintain order."

"I agree, it seems like the 'Bore' is have a bigger effect than we first thought, but if it can affect the minds of Aes Sedai, disciplined minds dedicated to the light and trained to control emotions, what defense do we have?"

"Channeling the One Power is a great talent and weapon but it opens you up to outside influence more so than those without the ability. I think your best defense will be the Occlumency we taught you because it is used to defend the mind from outside forces."

_Flashback_

"_Lily and I have been talking; we think it is important for you to learn Occlumency. Should you ever go back to the 20th century, it will be an important defense against Voldemort."_

"_Occlumency, what's that?"_

"_Occlumency is mind magic. It allows you to defend your mind against outside forces and mind control spells such as the Imperio."_

"_Why would I need that? I can already through off the Imperio; I did that with Moody and Voldemort. I wonder if it would work against Compulsion?" Harry asked, confused._

"_Harry, do you remember those dreams you had at the beginning of your 4th year? We believe that your scar connects you to Voldemort and that is why you had those dreams. If Voldemort were to learn of that connection, he may use it to try and give you false information, to spy on you, or to try and possess you." James finished._

"_Plus, a benefit of Occlumency is that you will have better control of your emotions and may even learn new skills easier because you will have organized your mind." Lily added._

"_That makes sense I guess. So what do we have to do?"_

"_You have already done much of the early work. The first step is to be able to clear your mind, which because of your Aes Sedai training you can do without thought or difficulty."_

"_OK, so then what's next? I assume there is more." Harry stated._

"_Now we need to begin building your mental shields. We want you to come back here every night and we will help you do that and test their strength."_

_So for weeks Harry returned to Tel'aran'rhiod every night to work on his Occlumency with James and Lily. Eventually, he was able to organize his thoughts and memories and protect them behind within a labyrinth in his mind filled with traps and defenses for anyone foolish enough to try and enter._

_End Flashback_

Continuing on after a short pause, Lily said "It is critical that you teach your father Occlumency, as the Tamrylin his defection to the shadow would be devastating."

"I can teach him what to do, but how will I test his defenses?" Harry asked. "The only thing that comes to mind is Compulsion and I am not sure I am willing to use that on dad."

Pausing as if unsure whether she should continue she muttered "I have broken most of the rules already, why stop now." Speaking louder she went on "Harry, bring your father here tomorrow night, and I will help you with his training."

Eyes widening and mouth hanging open a bit, "Are you sure? You told me never to tell anyone of our meetings."

Sighing, "Yes, this is too important for the rules stop me."

"If you sure…" Harry said dubiously.

"I am not sure how exactly, but your destiny is linked with the Dragon's. You have a role to play, just as he does in the downfall of the Dark One."

"That's why you don't think I will stay in the 20th century. Because I will help my father defeat the Dark One." He said somewhat relieved to know there was a good chance he would be back, assuming he beat Voldemort.

Changing the subject, he said "I have to go. If this is Devaille, I need to alert people and find out what happened."

Looking worried, Lily said "Whatever you do, don't go alone. The forces of the shadow could still be there."

"I won't." With that, Harry left _Tel'aran'rhiod_ and fell into a normal sleep.

**Next Morning**

Waking up early the next day, Harry rushed to get ready. He noticed that his father had left for the day already and ran outside and Traveled to the Hall. On his way to the Tamrylin's office, he picked up two of his friends that he trusted the most.

He had gone through training with both of them. Seraph was the first Aes Sedai in his family. He, like Martin, had studied under a blade master and was currently training one himself. He was tall at 6'2 with short light brown hair and pale blue eyes. While not an especially strong channeler, he was an excellent blade master.

Hunter was a researcher and teacher. His mother was Aes Sedai and a researcher as well. He chose to teach and train those who passed the test even though he had been offered a research position at the Collam Daan. Exceptionally bright and quick-witted, he knew when to argue and when to hold his questions. He had sparkling green eyes and dark brown hair.

During their training, the three men had not bothered to get to know each other beyond simple greetings in passing. Once Harry started his internship with the Tamrylin and spent more time in the Hall of Servants, the three slowly became friends. Unlike with Martin, Harry never felt like he was competing with them or that they were jealous of his accomplishments. As with Devra, they accepted him for who he was and consequently, Harry found himself becoming closer with them then he ever had with Martin.

As he was running into the Hall, he saw Seraph and Hunter talking in the main entrance. Stopping for a moment, he said "I need both of you to come with me to the Tamrylin's office. Please just don't ask questions until we get there."

Together the three ran through the corridors, startled Aes Sedai jumping out of the way at the sight of three men charging at them. Reaching the outer office, Harry found the Keeper sitting at her desk as always. "Is there anyone in there with him? I need to speak to him immediately." He said in a commanding tone.

Normally Harry would never have been so brusque, she examined his face and sensing the urgency of the matter walked over to the door. "Tamrylin, counselor Telamon wishes…" Here she paused looking at Harry for confirmation. After receiving his nod, "counselor Telamon is here to speak with you on a matter of some urgency, Hunter Sedai and Seraph Sedai are with him as well."

"Of course send them in." His father answered.

As the three men entered his office, Lews noted the pale countenance of his son and the somewhat confused looks of Seraph and Hunter. "So what I can do for you three?"

"I was in _Tel'aran'rhiod_ last night. Don't ask me why because I can't tell you at the moment, but something made me visit Devaille. As you know, only the more permanent aspects of the real world are reflected in _Tel'aran'rhiod_. When I arrived at Devaille, it was in ruins, the entire city." He stopped for a moment to let his words sink in. "We need to send a team to Devaille now, and I would like myself, Seraph and Hunter to be included in that team."

Paling at the implications of Harry's discovery, Lews called for his Keeper "Have a force of twenty soldiers and 2 investigators assembled in the entrance hall immediately."

As the Keeper ran off to gather the requested force, Lews asked "Is there any information you can give me on what to expect?"

"No, I only know that the entire city was in ruins."

A half hour later, the force was assembled and waiting in the entrance hall. Lews would not be going with but he addressed them before their departure "We have reason to believe that something may have happened to Devaille. You are under the command of counselor Telamon. Be prepared for anything and do not let your guard down. Regardless of what you find, I expect someone to report to me within the hour." That last part was said while he was looking directly at Harry.

Harry took over and said "Let's go to the Travel point, I will open a portal to Devaille." The group walked to the Travel point and after Harry opened the portal, they could clearly see that something had happened. The wall that was visible through the portal was charred and in ruins. "Everyone head through. Break up into teams of 4 and begin searching."

After everyone stepped through, Harry released the portal and it snapped shut. They were all nervous as they began to fan out. The soldiers had broken into 5 teams and were spreading out to begin a search. The 2 investigators were both channeling to see if they could pick up any evidence of Aes Sedai involvement.

Harry, Seraph and Hunter stayed together and began to walk along the outer wall of the city. "Have you noticed how quiet it is? Other than the sound of the fires still burning, there is nothing." Seraph said softly.

Hunter added in an equally soft tone "I know and where are the bodies?" They could see the burnt remains of homes through breaks in the wall. "Maybe there will be some signs near the main entrance, it is up ahead."

The three continued to walk towards the main entrance which was still a half mile away. None of the three spoke, as if doing so would disturb those that had surely died this past night. Finally, after another 10 minutes of walking, they came to the main entrance and were witness to a gruesome sight.

"Oh my god, Devra?" Harry quickly turned away and threw up what little he had to eat that day. He felt someone rub his back as he was bent over in the grass. Once he had gotten control of his stomach he looked up to see the worried face of Hunter.

Then he felt someone nearby channeling, he looked up to see Seraph cutting the bonds holding Devra's body to the wall. Whoever had killed her burned away all of her skin from the neck down but was very careful to leave her face intact. No doubt so that she would be easily recognized. Harry almost gagged a second time at the remains of his friend.

Hunter quickly channeled and spun an illusion using spirit so that she appeared unharmed and clothed. Harry looked gratefully at Hunter for what he had done and said "Seraph I need you to take charge of the soldiers. Make sure they complete a sweep of the city. If you encounter anything, Travel back to the Hall. Devra was not the work of an unruly mob, only an Aes Sedai could have done that."

Channeling and weaving air to create a stretcher to carry Devra's body, Harry ordered "Hunter, I need you to work with the two investigators to gather any evidence of the One Power, but the same precautions apply to you. Any sign of someone other than the soldiers or Seraph and you get out of there."

Neither man had ever seen Harry quite so serious. They simply nodded and began to move out in an effort to catch up with the other men. Before he opened a portal, Harry contacted the soldiers "Captain Sanderson, do you have anything to report?"

"Sir, we haven't found any survivors and the city appears to be completely destroyed."

"Thank you Captain, please report to Seraph Sedai. He will coordinate your efforts from now on."

"Sir." Harry actually heard the Captain draw in a deep breath before continuing "Sir, we have found the remains of some of the citizens."

"Go on." Harry prompted.

Gulping before he continued, "Sir. There looks to be bite marks in some of the remains. It appears that some of the bodies have been partially eaten."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he struggled to keep his stomach under control, Harry whispered "Understood. Thank you Captain."

Knowing that the investigators would need more time, Harry opened a portal to the Hall and stepped through bringing the stretcher carrying Devra's body with him. On arrival, he ordered one of the students "Go to the Tamrylin's office and tell him that Counselor Telamon needs to see him in the Entrance Hall immediately." Finding another student, Harry ordered "Go, bring a healer back here, quickly."

Ten minutes later, a healer arrived. As Harry began to describe the condition of Devra's body to her, his dad arrived in the Entrance Hall. His eyes fell to the stretcher and after a moment, widened when he recognized that it was Devra. Looking at Harry he asked "Is she dead? Are you hurt?"

In a soft voice, full of sadness, Harry answered "Yes, she is and I am fine. Someone had strung her body up to the city wall next to the main entrance as a message. We need to send more men. The entire city appears to be burning or already destroyed and a single survivor had yet to be found."

After listening to Harry, Lews ordered another 100 men and 5 investigators to the city. "I expect a report within the hour. Coordinate you efforts with Hunter Sedai and Seraph Sedai; they are already in the city."

"Harry, go to your office and rest for a bit. Quite frankly, you look awful. I will talk with the healer about preparing Devra's body for her parents."

"But…" Lews cut him off.

"Consider that an order from the Tamrylin."

**That Night**

It was late, close to 11pm but Harry knew his father was still in the Hall of Servants. Harry knew he couldn't put off talking to him about Lily because she could be reborn any time now and he needed her help if he was going to train his father in Occlumency. Walking into his father's outer office, he saw the Keeper of the Chronicles sitting at her desk working. "Is he in? Can I speak with him?" He asked politely.

Standing from behind the desk and walking over to the door and opened it. "Tamrylin, counselor Telamon is here to speak with you." She said in a tired voice.

"Send him in." Looking up as Harry entered his office and closed the door. "What can I do for you counselor Telamon." They always tried to maintain a professional front when in the Hall. He was quite surprised when he felt Harry channel. "What did you just do?"

"I just spun some privacy wards so that no one can 'accidentally' overhear us." Harry paused not sure how to continue. "Dad, I need to tell you something but …"

Eyebrows going up at hearing 'Dad', Lews asked when it didn't look like Harry was going to continue "Is this something about Devra?" He knew how close the two had been, she had been one of Harry's first friends here. To see her killed in such a way.

Harry felt his chest tighten at hearing Devra's name and he felt the tears he had been fighting all day begin to flow. He stepped back towards the wall and slid down to the floor pulling his knees to his chest. His grief started to break through all his barriers. He couldn't fight it anymore and just rested his forehead on his knees and cried.

Lews got up from his chair and sat next to Harry with his arm around his should. He just let Harry mourn for his friend. Inwardly, he was seething that an Aes Sedai could do something as barbaric as what had been done to Devra. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear what Harry said "I am sorry, what did you say? I was lost in my own thoughts there for a minute."

Wiping the tears from his face, Harry said with a shaky smile "Thanks. I don't know what came over me."

"Harry, she has been you friend for more than 15 years. It's ok to grieve."

Nodding his head, "There is actually something else I wanted to talk to you about." He stopped for a moment to collect his thoughts "Dad, there is something that I have been keeping secret from you for quite a while now."

"We all have secrets. I know there are some things you have done for the Hall that you can't share with me."

"No it isn't that. Ok let me start from the beginning." Harry told his father everything about his meetings with James and Lily in _Tel'aran'rhiod_.

"That is an incredible story. I can't believe you were able to meet your parents and get to know them after all this time." Harry got a guilty look on his face at this. "What did you do, why do you look so guilty?"

"Didn't you notice that I called them James and Lily?" Lews shook his head at this, not having made the connection at first when Harry was telling his story. Pushing ahead "I love both them and it has been great getting to know them, but you and mum are the only parents I have ever really had. And…I just don't think of them as my parents. It isn't fair, but they couldn't be there when I was growing up. Even though I was almost 15 when you found me, you and mum have been the parents I always wished for."

Giving Harry a one armed hug, his dad said "Thank you Harry. I hope you know that adopting you was one of the best decisions we have ever made."

Smiling at his dad and nodding "There's more. Lily warned me that bad times are ahead. If Devaille is any indication, I think she is right."

"Was she able to give you any specific information?"

"Not much. She did say that they are using _Tel'aran'rhiod_ as a meeting place and as a way of scouting and spying."

"Hmmm…We will have to think about this to see if there is any defense, of course it gives us a means for scouting as well. What else?"

"She wants me to bring you to her in _Tel'aran'rhiod_ so that she can train you in Occlumency. It is a type of mind magic from the 20th century that she thinks could protect you from the influence of the shadow. Because James has been spun into the pattern again, that means that she could be spun out again as well very soon. It is something we should be tonight, but given how late it is I suggest we begin tomorrow and I will bring you with me when I go to meet her."

"What about the others, shouldn't they be trained as well?"

"They probably should be but we have no way of doing it because you need magic to aid in the initial setup of the mind's defenses. That is why Lily has to train you because my magic was burned out when I came here. Our training as Aes Sedai makes it a lot easier though. They were able to train me in a couple of months rather than the normal time of a year or two."

"Plus, we can't let other people know of her existence and we don't know how long it will be before she is reborn." Harry finished.

"I understand. Tomorrow night sounds like a good time to start." Suddenly Lews had a mischievous glint in his eyes and smile on his face as he added "Oh, just think of all the embarrassing stories I will be able to share with Lily."

Suddenly, Harry wasn't so sure if this who training thing was such a good idea.

**2 nights after attack on Devaille**

Harry was a little nervous. Tonight he was going to be introducing the man he considered his dad to his biological mother. He and Lews and just arrived in _Tel'aran'rhiod_. Harry led them to the alley he always used when meeting with James and Lily.

"Lily, we're here!" He called loudly. His dad was looking around, it had been quite some time since he had been in _Tel'aran'rhiod_. He was not a Dreamer so the only way he could get here on his own was to enter physically which was very dangerous.

Just as Harry was about to call again, a woman emerged from the end of the alley. She had shoulder length wavy red hair and emerald green eyes, almost exactly the same shade as Harry's. Lews gasped as he realized he was looking at Lily Potter.

Noting the surprised look on Lews' face, Lily smiled and said "I am Lily Potter, Harry's birth mother. I assume you are Lews Therin Telamon, his father." Lews was about to object to that when she cut him off "No, James and I spoke at length about this with Harry. He loves us and we understand why he sees you and your wife as his parents. We are just happy to know him and know he has ended up with good parents."

Feeling a little annoyed, Harry grumbled "I am standing right here you know."

Laughing at Harry, Lily simply said "I know."

Lews was still feeling a little overwhelmed, it is one thing to be told you are going to meet someone thought long dead, it is quite another to actually do it. "It is a pleasure to meet you Lily Potter, hopefully some day I can meet James as well. Perhaps we had best get started since we have limited time."

"Yes that is a good idea. We need to get your Occlumency as strong as possible before I am spun out once again. It will be critical for protection, once Harry is gone." The blood drained from Harry's face as she said this, but the damage was already done.

Spinning around, Lews practically growled "HARRY JAMES POTTER-TELAMON! What does she mean 'when you are gone?'"

Visibly shrinking in on himself Harry answered "Yeah, I didn't know how to tell you that part."

"Well you better tell me now. I am more than strong enough to bend you over my knee if I have to."

Flushing with embarrassment because he knew it was true, Harry explained "Lily told me that they first met me in _Tel'aran'rhiod_ back in the 20th century when I am 37 years old. Assuming I would look for them right away, that means sometime in 4 years or so I am going back." He finished this last in a very soft voice.

Lews was silent as he processed the fact that he was going to lose his son in 4 years.

Lily who had been laughing at Harry saw the anguished expression on both their faces. "Lews, nothing is ever certain, but Harry's destiny is linked to the 'Dragon.' That is why he was able to sense Saidin even though the ability hadn't evolved yet in the 20th century. I know that if Harry defeats Voldemort then you will see each other again. How or when I don't know."

"I'm sorry dad. I don't want to leave, but I don't think I am going to have any choice. I just didn't know how to tell you yet."

Taking some consolation in the fact that he would be reunited with his son, "I feel the same way. Unless there are any other secrets you are keeping from me, let's get my training started."

As with Harry, Lews was able to master Occlumency at a much quicker pace than normal. Approximately 2 months later, Harry and Lews entered _Tel'aran'rhiod_ for his dad's final lesson. After Lily had finished testing both their defenses one final time she said "Harry, I don't think I will be here next time you come. The time for me to be born again has come I believe. Before you go though, I have been following some of the Aes Sedai sworn to the shadow and I believe they are going to attack Comelle soon."

Both men nodded at this information, "Goodbye Lily, thank you for training Harry and I. We will do everything we can to prevent Comelle from turning into another Devaille."

Harry gave Lily a hug, "I love you and I will see you sometime in the 20th century."

"Both James and I love you too and we are very proud of you."

**October, 32 PB – 3 months into the War of Power**

**Assault on Comelle**

Harry and his father were determined to save Comelle. It would not end up the way that Devaille had. If they were able to deal a harsh enough blow to the forces of the shadow, it may forestall future hostilities giving them time to ready their own forces and defenses.

The defense of Comelle was made more difficult by the need to keep it secret. Neither man knew if there were any agents for the shadow among them, so the plans were kept secret. The plan was a simple one. Because of Devaille, they had already increased the size and training of the army. Under the guise of advanced hand-to-hand combat training, Lews assigned many of the blade masters to the barracks around Paaran Disen. When they received the signal, the blade masters would be able to open portals to Comelle and bring troops their immediately.

Quietly, Harry stationed a few of his friends in the city to keep a watch on things. They were told to alert the Hall at the first sign of trouble. Because they did not know when the attack would come, both Harry and his father had taken to sleeping in the Hall to be sure that they were around when the attack began.

Close to a month had passed since Harry and his father had received the warning from Lily. They weren't sure how much longer they keep the increased defenses present in Comelle from everybody's notice. On a moonless night near the end of October, the forces of the shadow began their attack on Comelle.

As with the attack on Devaille, the shadow's forces consisted of approximately 6,000 trollocs and almost 16,000 men. Backing up the soldiers were Acheron, Aginor, Belal, Lanfear and Semirhage. Together the 5 felt they could crush any Aes Sedai that were currently stationed in the city.

They used the One Power to set off multiple explosions throughout the city. Belal watched as Acheron led their forces forward to purge the city of any resistance. Unfortunately, the Aes Sedai that Harry had sent to Comelle sensed the use of the One Power along with the explosions. Following their orders, the opened portals back to the Hall to notify the Tamrylin.

Within 15 minutes, Harry and his father were stepping through a portal into the besieged city. Blade masters had been dispatched to the barracks outside of Paaran Disen to bring additional troops. While this was happening, the trollocs and men were entering the city slaughtering anyone they could find.

The enemy forces were met by the military stationed within the cities, because of the extra training they had been provided they were able to exact a greater toll on the trollocs and men, but they were still overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers. Then the Aes Sedai began to arrive through the portal along with reinforcements.

Harry was leading a team of 6 Aes Sedai including Hunter and Seraph in a search for the ones channeling. They had the general location from their use of the One Power. As Harry's group went off, Lews arrived and took charge of the defenses, giving orders to the Aes Sedai and sending the blade masters off to take charge of the soldiers still coming through the portals.

In order to execute the plan, the Aes Sedai began to form circles and were assigned detachments soldiers for protection along with individual Aes Sedai to aid in the actual attack that would clear the way ahead of the circles. Each circle moved out, creating a shield of air and earth that they could use to prevent the enemy from moving forward.

There were six teams in total. Each one went in a different direct and formed a wall of solid air, pushing it in front of them and letting it expand as the moved further away from the center of the city. Each team was on its own. But the walls they created were linked together in a massive light blue dome shimmering in the moonlight that was slowly expanding as each team moved outward into the city.

Soldiers were ranging ahead of the teams, fighting trollocs and men when the numbers weren't too overwhelming and other times, and serving as scouts to direct the Aes Sedai. Explosions rang through the night as the Aes Sedai fought with the soldiers to push back the enemy. Fire and lightning flashed in the night turned into lethal weapons by the Aes Sedai.

The trollocs kept up the head on assault despite their mounting losses and served as an effective distraction for the shadow's soldiers. After watching the Aes Sedai tear apart men and trolloc alike, the officers began stationing archers in the buildings ahead of the advancing Aes Sedai. Once they were in range, they were able to eliminate the threat by taking many of the Aes Sedai out with arrows before they recognized the danger. Without the Aes Sedai, the trollocs and remaining human soldiers were able to overwhelm many of the parties advancing ahead of the shield.

Despite the loss of the soldiers and Aes Sedai, the circles continued to advance, spreading the base of the dome oftentimes using it to forcibly push the enemy forces back out of the city. Now, though, the enemy was only being forced back, they were no longer taking any significant losses as they gave up ground.

Meanwhile, Harry's team had found the rogue Aes Sedai. After taking note of their identities, he was very disappointed to see his uncle's face among the rogues. Glancing briefly at the city, he noted the glittering dome slowly expanding to cover to more and more of the city. The rogues were concentrating their attacks on the dome now in an attempt to shatter it.

Taking advantage of their distraction, Harry and his group channeled and advanced on them slowly. Earthquakes, explosions and fireballs shot towards the rogues. Harry walked forward slowly, ready to spin shields into place as needed as his men continued to attack, now included spirit attacks aimed at blocking or severing the connecting to the One Power.

At the first attack, shield sprang up around the Forsaken, absorbing the worst of the attacks. Aginor and Semirhage were forced to dodge attacks that had made it through the shield. Now aware of Harry and his group, the two began trading attacks. Fireballs met lightning bolts met boulders met waves of earth. Anything and everything was used in the battle. Individually the Forsaken were stronger than any in Harry's team except for himself, but they had been channeling for a significant amount of time before Harry's team had arrived.

Belal recognizing that they were not going to win this day, opened a portal and stepped through. The other Forsaken saw his retreating form and jumped through after him as the portal snapped shut. Like the Forsaken, the remaining trollocs and soldiers were also in retreat. Acheron had long since fled the field leaving his men to fend for themselves.

**Aftermath: **

The next morning, Lews was meeting with the counselors to discuss the outcome of the attack. He sat behind his desk with a tired expression on his face as he realized the enormity of the task in front of him. It was on his shoulders to once again ready the world for war and beat back the forces of the shadow. "OK, so what do know?"

"We lost almost a third of the city, but it could have been much worse if we hadn't been able to respond so quickly." Answered a blade master present during the battle.

"What about our forces, who did we lose?" Lews asked.

"We lost close to 30 Aes Sedai and 4,000 soldiers. This does not include the military force that was stationed in the city."

"Counselor Telamon, your team fought the rogue Aes Sedai, were you able to identify them?"

Sighing, "Yes it was Mierin, Ishar, Durram, and Nemene. Most likely they joined the shadow after receiving their judgments from the Hall for their crimes."

Harry was about to go on but was interrupted by another blade master "Martin was also present; he was sighted by 2 of the circles. He must have been leading their forces in the city." On hearing that Martin had defected, Harry felt very sad for the man that used to be his friend.

Clearly uncomfortable with what he was going to say the blade master went on "He wanted to know if you had found his gift that he left for you at the main gates of Devaille."

Harry understood the message even if others didn't. Martin was the one who killed Devra. His face closed off as struggled to contain his rage.

Another said "I can't believe that Aes Sedai would forsake the light to swear fealty to the shadow. It just doesn't seem possible, but the evidence from last night is irrefutable."

A counselor added "I don't think we can count on this defense to keep working. If they had been able to penetrate the shield we would have been slaughtered. And we can't afford to lose Aes Sedai in these kinds of numbers."

Lews agreed with this point and asked "Do we have a count on the enemy's numbers?"

"We were able to recover over 5,000 of the trollocs and another 12,000 human soldiers."

"Do we know where their base of operations is?" Someone asked.

Harry responded tersely "It is most likely Shayol Ghul, but without knowing their numbers or defenses, a counterattack at this point is probably not a good idea."

Lews ended the discussion by saying "We need to focus on improving the army we have and coming up with new defenses. I expect to hear ideas the next time we meet."

**June, 31 PB – 1 year into the War of Power**

There had been no other attacks since the forces of the shadow had been pushed back from the walls of Comelle by the forces of Light under the command of Harry and his father. Nine months and nothing to indicate the plans of the enemy, but Lews Therin Telamon, the Dragon, was taking the advantage of the respite.

During the nine months, Lews commissioned the creation of a new _sa'angreal_, an artifact that allows the wielder to channel more of the one power than they would be able to otherwise. In this case, he had commissioned the creation of a sword that would allow a male Aes Sedai to wield vast amounts of the one power, more than him even.

The Aes Sedai crafters had started with a general's blade. The blade given to a general of the armies was forged using the one power to increase its strength and durability. They never dulled and would never break. Such a strong material as the base of the new _sa'angreal_ would enhance the channeling capabilities of the weapon.

The crafters worked in two teams. The first team reforged the blade, modifying its structure so that it could accommodate the power that would flow through it. Weeks were spent at the painstaking process of channeling flows of earth through the blade to slowly change the molecular makeup of the sword. Three months later, the sword was physically complete. Its appearance had changed drastically, it now appeared to be made of crystal yet it retained the enhanced physical durability of the original blade.

Now that the sword was complete, the second team took over. It was their job to weave flows of spirit into the structure of the sword that would allow it to serve as a conduit for the one power. As with the reforging of the blade, this was a slow deliberate process as they infused the blade with flows of spirit joining Saidin and metal into a single element.

Finally, after 5 months the most powerful _sa'angreal_ ever to be created for a male Aes Sedai was complete. The heads of the two crafting teams were currently sitting in the Tamrylin's office discussing the sword and its capabilities. "We won't know until it's fully tested, but the power that can be channeled through the blade will be immense."

"Did you have a suggestion for who you would like to test it?"

"Normally, we would suggest you but since you are currently Tamrylin, that wouldn't be appropriate. The next best candidate would be counselor Telamon since he is second only to you in strength."

"When would you be able to conduct the tests?" Lews asked curiously.

"Two days time, the other members of the teams are scouting out areas. Because we do not know the destructive potential of this _sa'angreal_ we want a remote location."

"Very well, I will notify counselor Telamon and we will meet you at 10am in the entrance hall in 2 days time."

Recognizing a dismissal, the two men nodded their heads and walked out, leaving the _sa'angreal _with the Tamrylin until the tests.

Later that day, Lews was discussing the readiness of the blade masters and the soldiers. Since the burning of Devaille, the army had grown to vast numbers. To aid in the training, he had assigned the blade masters to the new recruits. The battle of Comelle showed that well trained forces can be effective in beating back overwhelming odds.

One of the female blade masters picked up the sword from his desk and examined it. "Is this the completed _sa'angreal_? Has it been tested yet?"

"No, it hasn't. Counselor Telamon and I will conduct the testing in two days with the crafting teams."

"So it has not yet been given a name?"

Before he could respond the woman's eyes grew unfocused and she began to intone in an emotionless voice "_Callandor,_ _the sword of power, shall be wielded by the non-born son of the Dragon. With its creation, the son will assume his role as the Dragon's strong right arm. Forever shall their destinies be linked, to stand against the darkness, to serve as beacons of the Light, to lead the armies of man, and to beat back the forces of the shadow."_ Finishing, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the floor.

**2 days later**

Harry and his father stood in the bright morning sun at the base of a low mountain that had been worn down by time and the elements. Around them stood the stood the two crafting teams responsible for Callandor's creation.

"Ready when you are counselor."

Harry drew Callandor from the sheath he was wearing across his back. Again he marveled at the feeling of rightness as he held the sword. It seemed he truly was meant to wield the sword, he felt as if the sword had chosen him as its master.

_Flashback_

"_Harry, I was meeting today with Magda and the other blade masters responsible for the soldiers' training."_

"_Did something happen? Is there an incident we need to be aware of?"_

"_No, it has nothing to do with the soldiers. It relates directly to you and I. Magda had picked up Callandor and was examining it." _

"_Callandor?" Harry asked._

_Handing the sword to Harry, he said "This is Callandor; it wasn't named until my meeting with Magda. During the meeting she went into a foretelling trance and gave perhaps the most straight-forward prophecy I have ever heard."_

_Harry went cold, he had a bad feeling that the prophecy directly related to him. "What did the prophecy say?" After listening to his father repeat the prophecy he said. "I assume that I am the non-born son because you adopted me. _

"_That was my thought as well." Harry felt much better and was even smiling after hearing this. "Harry, I must say, this wasn't the reaction I was expecting."_

"_Don't you see, it just confirms what Lily said. Even if I go back to the 20th century, somehow, someway I will make it back to stand by your side."_

_End Flashback_

Glancing nervously at this father, Harry stood up a little straighter as he began to reach for Saidin through Callandor. It was like a flood of power rushing into him. The surge of power flowing into him was like nothing he had ever experienced, it felt as if his body was radiating power.

As he began to channel, Callandor began to shine with the light of the sun, glowing brighter and brighter and until it was almost too bright to look at. Reaching through Callandor, Harry pulled on Saidin even more to cast out flows of air, water and fire into the sky. The flows stretched for miles as the gathered the moisture in the air and began to pool it near the mountain. Overhead, clouds began to form and darken until they were as black as ink. He continued to feed power into the flows as lightning began to flash, arcing between the clouds in thick, bright bolts. Finally with Callandor blazing brightly, like the noon-day sun, massive lightning bolts as thick as a man's torso began to arc to the ground repeatedly striking a nearby boulder guided by Harry. In moments, the boulder was destroyed and the lightning ceased as Harry released the flows and the clouds overhead began to dissipate.

Everyone was dumbstruck by the amount of power that was just channeled. Normally, anything changing the weather such as what Harry had done would have required a circle of Aes Sedai to accomplish. Before anyone could say anything, Harry redirected Saidin into pure flows of air to lift another boulder that easily stood as tall as his father. Once he had the boulder, he forced the flows of air inward, squeezing the boulder until it shattered.

Finally, Harry looked to a small hill, roughly a half-mile a while and channeled fire and earth into the hill. Suddenly all the gathered people including Harry were blasted off their feet by the shockwave generated when the entire hill detonated sending a fireball hundreds of feet into the air. Looking a little abashed as debris rained down around them, Harry released Saidin and Callandor ceased glowing. "Sorry about that."

Laughing, his father summed everything up with "I would say that was a successful test."

**January 28 PB – 3 years, 6 months into the War of Power**

In the beginning, the war had not been going well for the forces of Light. It seemed that the armies of the shadow were endless. For every trolloc that was killed in battle two more took its place. Everywhere the light was being overwhelmed and pushed back, struggling to defend a handful of cities that had yet to fall to the shadow.

Paaran Disen was one of the few cities left that had not suffered any damage as a result of the war. It was no longer the beautiful immaculate city it had been prior to the war. Its streets were packed with refugees and soldiers. On the outskirts of the city, barracks had been built to house the additional soldiers. Everywhere you looked, people hurried about their business, spending as little time out in the open as possible.

With every city lost, the forces of the shadow grew as the survivors of the attack were given to option to swear fealty to the Dark One or be killed. As a result, when the Light was able to retake a city more often than not, there was no one left to rescue. It was just another ruin, barren and empty.

In addition to the numerous military defeats, there was the defection of many of the strongest and most influential Aes Sedai, including Mierin, Nemene, Durram, Ishar and Martin. In all, 14 of the strongest rose to the position of generals in the armies of the shadow and they became known as the Forsaken by the forces of the Light. Each defection had come at a critical time for the Light, resulting in the loss of a critical battle or a loss of hope.

Most of the Forsaken changed their allegiance simply for power such as Ishamael, Balthamel, Rhayvin, and Moghedien. Others of the Forsaken, Graendel, Asmodean, and Messana changed their allegiance to fully explore their darkest desires ranging from the explorations of human depravity to simple revenge. Finally Sammael and Demandred swore fealty to the Dark One out of jealousy for the power and respect afforded to the Dragon.

The Forsaken could often be seen leading the hordes of the shadow in the battle wielding the One Power as a weapon to burn away all who stand against them.

Early on in the war after the shadow's defeat at Comelle they began using Balefire as a weapon. Forced to respond in kind the Light began to use it as well. For close to a year, it was the primary weapon used by the Forsaken and the Aes Sedai. Thousands of men on either side were burned from the pattern their actions and memories erased from existence. As the war escalated, whole cities were wiped from time using Balefire, leaving nothing its wake but smoking craters where the cities once stood.

The mass burning of people and cities from the pattern threatened to tear it and the world apart. By mutual agreement in a war where no quarter was asked or given, Balefire ceased to be used as a weapon. In stead both sides resorted to increasingly devastating displays of the One Power. During the battle of Mar'Ruois, Harry led a small group of Aes Sedai to the enemy encampment. Forming a circle to augment his power with the Aes Sedai and Callandor blazing like a beacon in the night sky, Harry channeled earth and fire in the center of the camp. The quiet of the night was shattered by the explosion that echoed for miles as a fire storm erupted in the camp spiraling outward searching for victims, consuming man and beast alike.

While the Forsaken were strong, they could not match the power wielded by Callandor and the sheer number of Aes Sedai loyal to the Light. It was one of the few advantages held by the light. What the Forsaken lacked in sheer power, they made up for in depravity. After the battle of Mar'Ruois, Aginor created a new type of assassin called a Gholam. The Gholam was immune to the One Power and incredibly strong and agile. Only 2 were created, because of their immunity to the One Power they were not trusted by the Forsaken for fear they could be used against them.

The target of the first Gholam was the Dragon and Harry. Tracking them through their use of Saidin, the Gholam found them one night while they were having dinner at their estate outside of Paaran Disen. Before the two men understood the nature of the threat, the Gholam had killed Aeron and incapacitated Ilyena.

Only Harry and his father were left to fight the Gholam. Harry attempted to wrap the Gholam in air only to find it had no effect, trying again to burn it with fire this time only to meet with the same result. Yelling to his father that it was immune to the one power, they took positions on either side of the Gholam and attacked with swords.

Even though it was facing two skilled opponents, the Gholam had the upper hand. Fending off an attack from Harry, it spun and blocked an incoming strike from his father. This went on for almost 15 minutes with the three moving back and forth in attack and defense. All three were covered in minor wounds. Harry's attacks were slowing; he had taken a hit on his left leg and couldn't move as fast as result. Seeing his weakness, the Gholam attacked him again with a flurry of strikes and when it saw an opening in Harry's defense, ran him through with its sword.

Harry gasped as felt the Gholam's sword slice into his stomach and sank to his knees, Callandor falling from his hands. Luckily, he had been able to deflect the blade enough to keep it from going through his heart. The Gholam took a moment to savor the sight of Harry impaled on its sword.

Lews saw Harry take the blow. He had already lost one son today to this animal. He wasn't going to lose another. While the Gholam was distracted by Harry, he channeled air to muffle any sounds he made as he approached the Gholam who was twisting his sword as he pulled it out making Harry scream out in agony. Not wasting any time, Lews took the opportunity and swung his sword slicing through the Gholam's neck.

Lews knew he didn't have a moment to waste; he needed to get Harry to the Hall immediately. Opening a portal, he channeled to create a stretcher for Harry and before he stepped through, he picked up his wife and carried her to the Hall with him, while Harry's unconscious form followed on the stretcher.

Two days later, once Harry had recovered sufficiently, they buried Aeron. The Forsaken took advantage of the Dragon's distraction and Harry's incapacitation and attacked the city of Tzora. The city held for hours against overwhelming numbers and the combined strength of the 14 Forsaken. In the end, the defenses were overwhelmed but it was a bittersweet victory for the shadow's forces.

During the assault, the Aes Sedai in the city had opened portals allowing the vast majority of the population to escape. As the final Aes Sedai were leaving and allowing the portals to close, they left a parting gift to the invaders. The Aes Sedai had supercharged many of the metallic structures in the city, as they were stepping through the portals, the using flows of water they coated the cities streets. With the water acting as a conductor, lightning began arcing from the supercharged structures through the water to any invader standing in it. Hundreds more were killed before the structures had fully discharged. In their anger, the Forsaken burned the city to the ground and salted the earth so that nothing would grow there again.

And so the war progressed with both sides gaining and losing ground. Until the beginning of the third year, the forces of the Light, in a massive campaign were able to gain back much of the ground that had been lost over the previous two years. The cost was high. Millions of people were dead on both sides, wide swathes of land were left barren of life of any kind, and still the shadow grew in power.

**May, 28PB – 3 years, 10 months into the War of Power**

The Aes Sedai and the forces arrayed against the Dark One were struggling to maintain the ground they had taken back from the shadow. They were currently at a stalemate, neither side able to claim a decisive advantage or victory. Despite their victories, they were desperate; the forces of Light knew it was only a matter of time before they were swept under the rising tide of darkness. Lews had gathered the counselors together today to discuss options for permanently driving back the shadow.

"I don't think anyone can dispute that we can't afford to prolong this war. The longer it goes on, the more people flock to pledge themselves to the Dark One's forces. We need to come up with a plan to end this now."

Harry spoke up "I think we need to focus on a way to seal the 'Bore.' If we can do that, then we cut off the head of the snake. We will still have to fight the Forsaken and their forces, but without the Dark One backing them they should start to lose forces."

Another counselor asked "What can we do to seal the 'Bore?' It is in the heart of the enemy territory. How do you suggest we reach it, we are barely holding onto the ground we have regained."

Latra Posae Decume spoke at this point "We are nearing completion of the two Choedan Kal. Once we complete those and the _ter'angreal_ necessary to use them, we would be able to channel enough power to seal the _'_Bore' from anywhere on the planet. Within 18 months we could be ready."

People spoke quietly to themselves about this. The Choedan Kal are huge sa'angreal more powerful than even Callandor. Two Choedan Kal were under construction one for use by a man and one for a woman. The problem was that they were so powerful they couldn't be used directly or the individual would be reduced to ashes by the amount of power flowing through them. Thus, two _ter'angreal_ were also under construction that would allow the use of the Choedan Kal safely.

Lews glared at the woman he had defeated for the office of Tamrylin. He did not agree with her plan. The Choedan Kal were two powerful, if the _ter'angreal_ were to fall into the hands of the Forsaken, there would be no hope of victory.

A male counselor spoke up and expressed this point and added "Plus, you are talking about 18 months to complete your work. If something should happen at one of the construction sites, I am not sure we can hold out that long. Every day people defect to the other side. How much longer do you really think we can hold out?"

Latra's faced turned red with frustration as she replied "What's the alternative? We go with the Tamrylin's plan instead? His approach is ridiculous."

Harry jumped in to the now familiar argument "You know that not's true. We have created 4 of the 7 seals that would be used to seal the 'Bore.' In another 2 – 3 months we can complete the remainder. All that would remain is coordinating the attack on the 'Bore.'"

Another female counselor responded with contempt "All that would remain? You say that as if it were a walk in the park. Not only do you have to lead an assault on Shayol Ghul, but you have to place each seal precisely or you could blast the 'Bore' wide open. Of course you will be doing this while no doubt fending off attacks from the Forsaken, trollocs, and dark friends."

Lews took control of the meeting and said "We need to decide this issue once and for all. We do not have the resources to fully support both plans. I need to know how everyone votes." He proceeded to take a roll of the counselors. He sighed as the vote finished, his counselors split right down the middle 5 for each plan. To make it more divisive, only women voted for the Choedan Kal plan and only men for his plan.

After the meeting, it was clear to Lews that Latra had convinced the other women that supporting his plan were tantamount to signing their own death warrant. He and Harry would have to adjust their plans. If they couldn't form a circle to set the seals, they would have to do each one individually and it would take much longer. Looking over at Harry who was waiting for his father to begin "Harry, I asked to you to stay because we need to change our plans. It is clear that we are not going to find enough women to support the plan. We are going to have to do this on our own."

Nodding in understanding, Harry said "What do you need me to do?"

After Lews explained what he needed Harry to do, they both left for the day. The next morning the each began their assigned tasks. Lews went to the teams that were creating the seals to check their progress. Each seal was circular, slightly larger than his hand and mimicked the crest of the Aes Sedai. They were formed from cuendillar, the strongest substance in existence, it had never been broken. The more force that was applied to it, the stronger it became. He was planning on making the assault on Shayol Ghul at the end of August in 5 months time.

As his father was talking to the crafting team for the seals, Harry was approaching the blade masters. His job was to recruit as many male Aes Sedai to participate in the attack as possible. Recruitment began today, the first recruit was Seraph. Together, the two began sounding out the other blade masters to see who would be able to join them in the assault. After gathering recruits from the blade masters, Harry and Seraph went through the researchers, teachers, and crafters. In the end, 116 men had volunteered for the strike on Shayol Ghul and they would become know as the Hundred Companions.

Latra and Lews had managed to do what the forces of the shadow had been attempting since the beginning of the war. They had driven a wedge between the male and female Aes Sedai. The seeds of discord had been sown and they found fertile ground. No one walked the corridors alone if they could help it. Open looks of distrust were shared between the two sides and cooperation was virtually nonexistent. There had been no incidents of outright violence yet, but it was only a matter of time.

**July 31st, 28PB – 4 years, 1 month into the War of Power**

The shadow was attacking the heart of the Light. Paaran Disen was under attack, admittedly it was a somewhat minor force of trollocs and soldiers, but there were at least 8 of the Forsaken attacking. Most of the remaining Aes Sedai were currently in other cities helping to reinforce the defenses so the primary duties fell to the Lews and Harry.

The garrison at Paaran Disen had been able to fend off the numerous assaults of the trollocs and humans. Their losses were fairly minimal as a result of training and embattlements that were in place around the city. The trollocs threw themselves mindlessly at the garrison, hoping to pull them down through weight of numbers. The humans were not quite as suicidal but they followed a similar strategy, hoping to overwhelm the garrison and break through the lines.

The garrison had other ideas. Archers positioned behind the front lines rained arrows down on the advancing ranks. Those that were fortunate enough to make it through the storm of arrows was faced what phalanx after phalanx positioned to crush the attackers against the city walls. The dead piled up quickly forming another barrier for the attackers to surmount. This also gave the archers more time to pick them off as they struggled over the bodies of the fallen.

While the soldiers were fighting off the ground troops, Lews and Harry were fighting the 8 Forsaken that were on the field. Drawing deeply on Saidin through Callandor, Harry called a thunderstorm together above the battlefield. Great black clouds formed and lighting could be seen flashing and arcing between them. With a cry, Harry let loose a string of lightning bolts that forced the Forsaken to scatter as bolt after bolt struck the earth.

Lews, his hair standing on end as a result of the static electricity from the lightning bolts, followed this up by causing the earth to explode underneath two of the Forsaken throwing them into the air to land with audible cracks as legs or arms broke in the fall. He followed up with more explosions but the Forsaken had separated, limiting the effectiveness of the tactic.

Two of the Forsaken opened a portal and fled. The two that had been thrown into the air by the explosion followed suit, fleeing back to Shayol Ghul via portal as quickly as they were able. The remaining four Forsaken resumed their attack on Harry and Lews. Using fire, lighting and even Balefire, they forced Harry and Lews onto the defensive.

Something about this doesn't seem right Lews thought. They are not making any real effort to drives us away from the city. It is almost as if … "Harry! They're not after the city. The Hall is their goal. You need to check it out."

Nodding, Harry opened a portal and before stepping through, filled himself with Saidin. With Callandor drawn and blazing like the sun, Harry stepped through to find Acheron and Belal emerging from the entrance hall. Apparently, two of the Forsaken had not fled. They had used the distraction of the battle to make their assault on the Hall of Servants. Using flows of air, he grabbed both men and incapacitated them before they could react.

"We wanted to wish you a happy birthday Harry. Surely you didn't think we would forget after all this time. What better way to celebrate your birthday than with a bonfire." Acheron and Belal laughed as flames started to curl around the Hall of Servants. They spread quickly, fueled by Saidin. The flames burned hot, radiating heat as the stone of the Hall turned red and fractured.

Letting his anger free, Harry squeezed the flows tighter. Both men were grimacing and grunting in pain. Belal felt one of his ribs crack from the pressure Harry was applying. All three men heard the snap as Acherons right arm was crushed against the pommel of his sword.

Acheron grinning maliciously despite the pain said "What don't you like it? I know it's nothing compared to Devra, but it is the thought that counts."

Behind Harry, a voice called through the open portal. "Harry, your father needs you. He is being overwhelmed."

Torn, Harry didn't want to let either man go, but he couldn't leave his father. Finally, he threw the two men against the Hall which was now crumbling from the fire. The impact knocked the two men out. Tying the flows so they couldn't get away, Harry returned through the portal.

His father was being attacked by four of the Forsaken. Currently, he was safe behind his shield, but even he would not hold long against the four. Channeling earth, Harry plunged Callandor into the ground, forcing as much Saidin as could into the attack. A shockwave swept out of Callandor through the ground towards the Forsaken. Cracks and rents were opening up as the shockwave shot towards them, fire and magma began to spew forth burning and incinerating anyone unfortunate to be hit by it.

Looking up, they saw Harry and through the open portal behind him, they saw the Hall of Servants burning. Their mission accomplished, the each dodged Harry's attack taking minor wounds in the process and Traveled back to Shayol Ghul.

Harry rushed to his father's side. "Dad, Acheron and Belal destroyed the Hall of Servants. I incapacitated them before coming back here."

"If they are still there, we will interrogate them, but this is a major setback for Latra's plan. Even if they didn't take _ter'angreal_ for the Choedan Kal, they were surely destroyed or lost in the rubble. They will need to begin construction all over again and I am positive we will not be able to hold out that long."

"I agree."

"We need to go ahead with our plan to make the assault on Shayol Ghul at the end of August. If Latra wants to rebuild her _ter'angreal _let her. With luck it will be over by the time they are ready."

Returning through the portal, Harry and Lews found no one. Belal and Acheron had escaped. They stood there and watched sadly as the Hall of Servants burned and crumbled to the ground. Another bastion of the Light lost to the rising tide of darkness.

That night, they received a status update on the city. Other than some minor damage, the focus appears to have been the destruction of the Hall of Servants. While this was not a major defeat, it did weaken the resolve of many. If the forces of the shadow could destroy a complex that stood as the heart of the Aes Sedai, then what could possibly be done to stop them from winning the war.

**August 21st, 28 PB – 4 years, 2 months into the War of Power**

Harry was planning out his portion of the assault on Shayol Ghul to place the seven seals. Without any women participating, it was going to be extremely difficult. They hundred companions as they had come to be called would have to buy him and his father time to place the seals. If there were any problems, while they were doing this, the 'Bore' could be blown wide open and the Dark One would have free reign over the world.

Of course, that is why the women were against the plan because of the precision that was required. Unfortunately, with the attack on Paaran Disen and the burning of the Hall of Servants, the _ter'angreal _necessary to use the Choedan Kalhad been lost. It would take months to create new ones and Harry was not sure they could hold out that long.

His father had been able to gather together a force of 10,000 men and 116 men who could channel including Harry, Seraph and Hunter. Looking at Harry's hunched form as he once again went over strategies for the attach Hunter sighed and said "Harry, we came here today to relax. We don't launch the attack for another week."

Laughing at Hunter's attempt to get Harry to loosen up, Seraph added "Nothing is going to change in the next 12 hours. You heard your father, you were ordered to relax today."

Standing up from where he had been sitting and stretching his back, Harry said "I know, but if even the slightest thing goes wrong, it could mean utter defeat."

"Harry you need to lighten up or you are going to make a mistake. There is such a thing as being too prepared." Hunter said.

Suddenly, a klaxon started to sound in the house. Harry reacted first "The wards have been breached. Seraph, get to the camp and bring a detachment of troops back. Hunter, destroy the plans, if something happens they can't fall into enemy hands. I am going upstairs to see what is coming."

Hunter channeled quickly, using fire to reduce the plans to ash and then followed Harry upstairs. Seraph opened a portal to the camp and stepped through, not bothering to close it behind as he called out for one of the detachments to form up.

While Seraph was gathering men, Harry and Hunter were on standing on a balcony overlooking the estate. Hunter sighted them first. There was a band of at least 200 men near the hill where Harry first arrived. Hunter alerted Harry, pointing to the men "Over there, by the portal stone."

Harry gripped the railing, stared forward studying the men with intent eyes. "Why men and not trollocs?" he muttered as he opened himself to Saidin. The unmistakable feel of cold power started pouring into him and Harry reveled in the exhilarating feel of his enhanced senses. His eyes began to glow an intense green as he pulled more power into himself. After the men had crested the hill, he acted and wove Saidin. A wreath of fire, burning blue flames radiating intense heat rose from the ground and surrounded the attackers.

The men were trapped by the flames intense heat, pushing them back towards the center of the ring to get away from the flames. As the attackers clustered together, Hunter acted. He channeled fire, the element he was strongest with, and sagged against the railing as he felt the power leave him in a rush. From the sky above the attackers, a pillar of fire descended and engulfed the men. Harry and Hunter could hear the cries as they burned to death and collapsed on the ground to be consumed by the flames.

Tearing his eyes away from the sight, Harry turned away and saw two more groups of men appear from the opposite direction. Harry realized the first group was a diversion so the other two could reach his home, limiting his actions.

Before the first group of men could reach the home, Seraph rushed out of the house with his sword drawn, leading a group of 40 men. Harry and Hunter were about to join Seraph when he heard someone call out. "Telamon!"

Harry saw a figure on the hill by the portal stone. "Hunter, go help Seraph fend off the attackers. I will join you if I am able." Harry channeled again and created a set of stairs out of air to the ground from the balcony.

Before Harry could descend, Hunter asked "Harry who is he?"

In a voice of devoid of emotion he answered "Martin."

Hunter blanched at the answer as he watched Harry descend before rushing off to help Seraph. Both men were familiar with the fall of Martin and Harry's desire to avenge Devra's death.

Acheron watched as Harry approached him. He filled himself with Saidin before calling out in a sneering voice "Didn't want your friends to join us Telamon?" Suddenly, he sensed someone channeling and he dove to the side and rolled into a crouching position. Just a he dove, the spot where he was standing exploded into a fountain of earth and fire.

Seeing his attack miss, Harry rolled to the ground to avoid a sheet of fire shooting towards him. Using water and air, he gathered an electrical charge in his right fist. When he came to a halt, he threw his arm forward, shooting a blinding blue bolt of lightning.

Acheron wasn't able to dodge the bolt completely and got clipped on his calf. He felt pain shooting up his right leg. Channeling earth as his leg crumpled, he slammed his fist into ground aiming towards Harry. Earth rumbling, a trench started forming moving in Harry's direction and widening as it got closer.

Before he was thrown from his feet, he channeled air to form a platform of air beneath his feet. Martin was surprised to see Harry floating above the trench as it opened beneath him until he realized he was actually standing on flows of air. He channeled again to bind Harry.

Harry felt the air solidify around him and he struggled to move. A razor made from spirit sliced through the flows of air and he collapsed to the platform he had created. As he fell, a bar of Balefire shot over his head. Not taking any more chances, he formed another razor of spirit and used this one to try and sever Acheron's connection to Saidin.

Acheron grabbed on to the _angreal _in his pocket to strengthen his connection to Saidin as he felt Harry's attack. He sliced the flows and they snapped back into Harry and followed it up with another blast of Balefire that slammed through the platform that Harry had just been standing on.

After he felt his flows snap back, he jumped to his left to avoid the next attack and channeled earth and water. Pushing both hands to the ground he formed a wave of earth that went rumbling towards Acheron. Acheron looked up to see a wave of earth towering above him, but with his injured leg, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time and was swept under.

Harry took the opportunity to move to a different location because he knew that Acheron would not be incapacitated for long. Just then, an explosion went off, blowing the earth that had enveloped Acheron in all directions. Harry was blown off his feet and slammed into the portal stone. Dazed he looked up to see Acheron weaving flows for another attack.

Behind Acheron, Harry saw Seraph and Hunter running towards them and they were only 20' feet away. Acheron confident he could kill Harry before his friends arrived channeled every bit of Saidin he could. Hands glowing, energy cascading up and down his arms, pouring all his rage and hatred for Harry and that damned lightning bolt scar into his attack, he shot the beam of energy at Harry.

Seraph sensing what Acheron was about to channel put on a last burst of speed and dove at him, sweeping Acheron's legs out from under him as he released the beam of energy at his friend. Hunter was rushing towards Harry when saw Acheron's attack miss Harry's head by inches and strike the portal stone. Seeing the portal stone begin to shine from the energy of the attack, Hunter pulled Harry away from it. Before they could get more than a couple of feet, a sphere of light expanded outward from the portal stone, encompassing the four before disappearing and taking the men with it.

The battle was over. The only sounds were the moans of the wounded and dying. The hilltop was empty. The portal stone lay in pieces and there was no sign of Harry, Hunter, Seraph or Acheron. The only sign that the four had been there was Callandor, found near the ruins of the portal stone. The captain in charge of the remaining men sent a runner to Paaran Disen to inform the Dragon.

**August 21st, 1995**

In a forest near the town of Little Whinging stood a small hill in the middle of a clearing. On that hill was a portal stone. At approximately 2pm, a small sphere of light formed, no bigger that a baseball. This sphere of light was a blinding white and seemed to pulse like a heartbeat, with every pulse, the globe expanded. Until, the sphere was more than 10 feet tall when it reached that height, it started to spin and change colors, oscillating from white to blue to red to green and back to white in ever increasing speed. When the colors seem to blur together, the sphere exploded sending out a shock that tore the trees surrounding the hill from their roots like the shockwave from a volcano.

In place of the sphere lay the bodies of 4 unconscious men.

**#12 Grimmauld Place **

Sirius and Remus were sitting up in the attic with Hedwig and Buckbeak talking about Harry. Sirius was extremely worried about his godson. It had been over two months since he had disappeared and there was no sign of where he went or if he was kidnapped. The only good news was Voldemort did not appear to have him, according to Snape.

"Do you think we will ever find him?" Sirius asked for the thousandth time as he absently stroked Hedwig.

"I don't know Padfoot, I really don't."

"He should never have been in that house if I had thought about someone other than myself for once. Why did I give Harry to Hagrid? I was his godfather."

"Sirius, you ARE his godfather. There has been nothing that indicates Harry is dead. Look at Hedwig; she has always had a connection to Harry, if she doesn't think he is dead, why do you?" Remus said, ignoring the first part of Sirius' comment because unfortunately, there was a good amount of truth to it.

"I miss his Remus; I just want him to come home." Tears had threatened to fall from Sirius' eyes as he said this.

Before Remus could respond, Hedwig whipped her around as if she heard something. She was staring directly at one of the walls of the room now, not moving. Hedwig was looking in the direction of the forest where Harry had returned. She spread her wings rising from Sirius's arm and started flying around the room, screeching loudly when she found no exit.

"Padfoot, do you think she senses Harry? She has never acted like this since he disappeared." Looking at Hedwig, Remus said "Do you know where Harry is?"

The only response he got was another loud screech and her tapping beak against the window.

Sirius had hope in his eyes for the first time in over a month. Pulling out his wand he cast a tracer charm on Hedwig so they could follow her. "Remus, get two brooms, we are going to follow her where she is going."

Remus ran out of the room and returned a few minutes later with two brooms. They each cast a Disillusionment charm and mounted their brooms. Once they were ready, Sirius opened the window and Hedwig shot out like a bat out of hell. Before she could disappear, the two men were flying after her.

They flew for more than two hours before they reached the edge of the forest. As if sensing the close proximity of Harry, Hedwig flew even faster. Shortly, she started winging down towards a hilltop in the middle of a clearing. Remus and Sirius could both see that a shockwave of some sort went of recently because all the trees for 100 feet around the hill were blown outward. As they descended, Remus realized that there were 4 bodies on top of the hill. As they were landing, one of the men struggled to his feet.

Acheron saw Remus and Sirius land. He knew he was not is any condition to fight, so he tried to open a portal back to Shayol Ghul, but it refused to open. Giving up on that idea, he opened a portal in _Tel'aran'rhiod_ and stepped through, letting it close behind him.

Sirius didn't know what to make of the man who had just left. He had opened a window or something; Sirius wasn't sure what and just stepped through, disappearing. At that moment, Hedwig let out another screech grabbing his attention. She was sitting near the heads of one of the men.

Remus and Sirius made their way over to the three men, kneeling down they caught sight of a familiar lightning bolt scar. "Shit Remus, that's Harry. But what happened to him, he looks like he is 25 years old."

"I don't know, but I think we need to get all three of them back to Grimmauld Place and have Poppy check them out."

"Hedwig fly back to Grimmauld Place. I'll take Harry and apparate there; can you take the other two?"

"Yes, I think I can manage it."

Sirius helped Remus maneuver the other two men together so that Remus could apparate all three at the same time. With that done, he grabbed onto Harry and disappeared with a loud crack, Remus followed a few seconds later.

**A/N: This will be the last WoT centric chapter. There will be an interlude wrapping up the War of Power, but the rest of the story takes place in the normal Potterverse. **

**For all those that have asked, yes there will be a meeting with Rand and Co., but that is planned for the sequel.**

**Thanks for all the reviews. Anonymous reviews are now accepted too. **


	6. Interlude A Brief Respite

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) anything related to Rowling's Harry Potter or Jordan's Wheel of Time.**

**Sorry, there were update issues with FanFiction, hence the multiple uploads of the same chapter.**

**Interlude: A Brief Respite**

Lews Therin Telamon had wrapped things up for the day and was walking out of the facility currently being used to house the Aes Sedai. The upcoming assault loomed large in mind. Despite the enormity of the task, he couldn't help but think of the fact that he was going to be losing Harry any time now that he was 37. He also realized that Aeron never was given the chance to live anywhere near that long.

He was about to open a portal, when a voice called out "Tamrylin! Wait, you need to go to your estate, there was an attack!"

A jolt of panic went through his body as he realized that Harry was supposed to be at the estate going over their plans once again. Forgetting the formal façade me maintained with Harry he asked "Is Harry there? Was he hurt?"

"I am sorry sir. I don't have any more information for you, I was just sent to notify you and bring you back."

Visibly forcing himself to calm down, Lews channels and opens a portal to his family estate. The portal snapped shut after the two men step through. "Where to soldier?" He asked as he looked at the damage to the estate. The ground was churned up from the back and forth of the fight. He could see where the bodies of the attackers were being burned and did not feel a bit of remorse.

"This way sir." He led Lews to the hill and the remains of the portal stone.

When Lews noticed where the man was leading him, he knew Harry was gone. Once the found the captain, he said in a strong voice "Report Captain!"

The Captain detailed the attack on the estate, including the presence of at least one Forsaken. He recounted what his men had seen of the battle between Harry and Acheron. Lews theorized that final attack from Acheron had enough raw energy to power the portal stone and the white light that the soldiers saw was the four men being transported back to Harry's time. Unfortunately the portal stone was destroyed in the process, so Harry would have to find a new one in order to get back.

"Thank you Captain. Do you need healers or any other assistance?"

"We sent off runners to retrieve the healers. They should be here shortly."

Lews thanked the man and took his leave. He needed to break the news to his wife. After opening a portal, he stepped through into his home to find his wife. "Ilyena, are you home?"

"I'm in here." She called from the den.

Walking to the den, he saw her sitting behind the desk writing a letter. "Ilyena, I just got back from the estate. There was an attack." He trailed off here, not sure how to proceed.

"Harry was there! Was he hurt?" When Lews didn't respond, she sagged back in the chair, seeming to collapse in on herself as she began to cry.

"No, no he isn't dead of that I am sure." Ilyena looked up in hope for a moment before he continued "He is gone though, back to the 20th century."

"How do you know that he isn't dead?" She truly hoped he wasn't dead. It was bad enough that the war had claimed Aeron but the thought of losing both her sons was terrifying.

Lews told Ilyena the whole story starting with Harry's visits with his parents in _Tel'aran'rhiod_, their first meeting in the 20th century when Harry was 37, and he ended with the foretelling when Callandor was created.

She stood up from the chair and sat next to him while she thought about what he had just told her. It was a lot to take in. On the one hand she may never see Harry again and on the other hand, he was safely away from the war. Lews put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

Finally she asked "Do you really think he is alive? It just seems like such a fantastic story."

Laughing softly he said "It isn't that outrageous when you think he came here from the 20th century in the first place. Yes I know he is alive, otherwise how would he have met Lily and James when he was 37."

"At least he is out of the war. I wish he were here, but he is probably safer there." She had to tell herself that. If she said it enough times, she may even begin to believe it too. Suddenly something clicked "If the foretelling is true, then that means your upcoming assault on the shadow will not end everything."

"I don't know. From what Lily described it is possible that we will become part of the pattern to be spun out when the times are dark. In that case, we will be reunited when that happens."

They sat there for some time, offering each other silent comfort.

**August 31st, 28 PB**

**Assault on Shayol Ghul**

The assault began at dawn. In order to avoid detection, the portals were opened 5 miles away from the base of Shayol Ghul. 10,000 soldiers and 113 male Aes Sedai participated in the attack that day. In case it was necessary, the Dragon had brought Callandor with him and by doing so he couldn't help but feel that Harry was there as well in spirit. Fortunately, the enemy was unaware of their presence.

Using advance scouting parties, they were able to eliminate many of the outlying guard posts that would have raised the alarm had they been spotted. Soldiers were lost on both sides as the shadow's forces reluctantly gave up the ground. By noon, they had reached their goal. They were at the base of Shayol Ghul and the Dragon could begin placing the seals on the 'Bore.' The seals were not physically sealing the 'Bore,' they were attuned to the 'Bore' using Saidin to contain its influence.

Up till this point, they Aes Sedai had left everything to the soldiers. They did not want to channel for fear of alerting the enemy to their presence. However, once the Dragon began channeling to place the seals on the 'Bore' that was no longer a concern. Horns could be heard throughout the mountain signaling the presence of attackers.

Unbeknownst to the attackers, the remaining 13 Forsaken were meeting in Shayol Ghul that day. With the placement of the first seal, time within the mountain seemed to slow. While the Forsaken were not trapped and out of the fight just yet, the Dragon and his Hundred Companions were given additional time to place the seals.

While the Dragon was placing the second seal, the first of the enemy forces came tearing out from the mountain. It seemed that the time dilation effect was centered over the 'Bore' and weakened as it moved farther away. Soldiers rushed into position to battle the shadow's men and to protect the Dragon.

As each seal was placed, the time dilation effect grew more pronounced; those near the 'Bore' were experiencing a second for every hour that was occurring away from the 'Bore.' The Dragon was tiring though each consecutive seal required more power, time and precision to place. By the time the 5th seal was in place, he had resorted to drawing Saidin through Callandor.

Many of the soldiers had been killed and some of the Aes Sedai had fallen as well and yet the trollocs and men continued to attack. Finally, the 7th seal was nearing completion. They lost close to 6,500 soldiers and 40 Aes Sedai when the Dragon finished placing the 7th seal. In that moment, there was a massive back blast of power that knocked everyone off their feet. The Dragon who was channeling at the time felt something taint Saidin. It was like an oil slick resting on top of water, in order to reach Saidin; you had to reach through it.

The Dragon quickly ordered a retreat, portals were opened and the survivors poured through as quickly as possible. In the end, only 2,000 soldiers had survived the assault and 68 Aes Sedai. It was a victory though, the seals were placed and the Forsaken were trapped as well. The war was not over, but without the shadow and the Forsaken to lead the armies, the forces of the Light stood a much better chance at winning.

**September, 27 PB**

**Time of Madness Begins**

It had been over a year since the Dragon and the Hundred Companions had completed their assault on Shayol Ghul, successfully placing the seven seals on the 'Bore.' Since that time, the forces of Light had been able to recapture virtually all the ground and cities that had been lost during the war.

The fragile peace that had been established was once again being shattered. This time, the catalysts were those closest to the Dragon. Those of the Hundred Companions who had survived were using Saidin to commit great acts of destruction. Weekly, the Dragon was receiving reports of towns being leveled, mountains being flattened, or people being slaughtered.

The prevailing theory behind the rash of violence was the taint now on Saidin. Somehow, before the 7th seal was in place, the Dark One had managed to poison Saidin. Every male Aes Sedai was being driven insane by the taint that was pouring into them whenever they channeled. It seemed that the effects were cumulative, each time they channeled they were driven to further levels of insanity by the taint.

Of the male Aes Sedai, it was the Hundred Companions who were affected first most likely because they were exposed directly at the sealing of the 'Bore.' The only one who seemed to be unaffected at this point was the Dragon. He had a theory about this, but he had no way to test it so he kept it to himself.

**March, 26 PB**

The remaining governments and Aes Sedai were on the verge of collapse. Infrastructure had been destroyed, crops wiped out, water supplies destroyed and every day it was getting worse. He had just finished meeting with the remains of the counselors. Plans had been set into motion to secure key _ter'angreal _and _sa'angreal_ such Callandor so they could not fall into the hands of any of the male Aes Sedai.

A portal opened on the grounds of the Telamon estate. Lews Therin Telamon stepped through and let the portal snap shut. Entering his home, he was greeted by a gruesome sight.

Everywhere he looked bodies were strewn about. Friends and relatives lay dead in every room. It looked like the house had come alive and stalked the inhabitants; bodies were partially absorbed into walls and floors. Scorch marks covered the wall as if the fire had been alive and stalked the victims. Entering his bedroom, he found Ilyena dead on their bed. She would have looked almost peaceful if it wasn't for the fact that she was lying in pool of blood.

Crying in out in grief and rage, he sat on the bed and pulled her still warm body to him in one final embrace. "Dragon, I was wondering when you would show up."

Looking up, he saw a man step through a portal. "Ishamael!" He spat. "I thought you were trapped with the rest of the Forsaken."

"Not entirely, but I am not entirely free." He dodged as Lews charged him. Sneering he said "You have no one to blame for this but yourself. Did you truly think you would be able to seal the Great Lord's prison again without any consequences?"

"You did this didn't you? Why? The millions of people already dead weren't enough for you?"

Laughing cruelly, Ishamael answered "This was done by a few of your Hundred Companions. I think perhaps they wanted to thank you personally for leading the assault on Shayol Ghul. I am curious though, why aren't you insane?"

"It's enough for you to know that I am not." Grabbing Saidin, he sent a bar of Balefire at Ishamael who dodged out of the way and stepped through a portal he had opened.

Before he let the portal close he added one final remark "I hope now you appreciate your folly in opposing the Great Lord of the Dark."

Crying, Lews Therin Telamon gave his wife one final kiss and left his home for the last time. He knew what he had to do.

Opening a portal to a wide open plain near the river Erinin and a nearby lake, Lews stepped through and sank to his knees. Crying for those he had lost, Ilyena, Aeron, and Harry and for those he must kill this day, his brother Aes Sedai. Recalling the foretelling, a voice in the back of his mind was saying that if Harry was not present at the battle against the Dark One, then this may be but a brief respite. Feeling a bit of dread, he realized that the final battle was most likely still to come.

Attempting to absolve himself of the guilt he was feeling for what he was about to do, he said aloud "I am sorry Harry. I won't be here when you get back. I can only hope that the foretelling was true and we will be reunited if not in this age then in another. The male Aes Sedai are going mad, whatever taint is on Saidin now seems to be the cause. The Occlumency that Lily taught us seems to protect me. The men must be stopped though, I am not sure I can take all of them, but I will take as many as I can."

Lews Therin Telamon channeled and he felt the power rush into him. The taint rolled off his Occlumency shields leaving his mind unharmed as he pulled more and more power into him. Surpassing even his own limits, he continued reaching for more Saidin. The heavens opened open and a massive bolt of energy shot down from the sky transfixing him and searing through earth and stone.

As he died, he sent the power out searching for any male Aes Sedai it could reach. Those it found died where they stood reduced to ash by the Dragon's final act. Where he had died, a mountain was rising from the magma that was shooting into the sky released from the earth by the bolt of energy. The mountain, later known as Dragonmount, would stand as a monument to the Dragon, a man loved and hated through the ages.

History would remember him as Lews Therin Telamon Kinslayer. He would be remembered as the savior of man for beating back the forces of the shadow. He would be feared as the Kinslayer for wiping out so many of his brother Aes Sedai. He would be hated for helping to bring about the breaking of the world.

**A/N: For those that are interested, the chronology I used from www . sevenspokes . com says the breaking of the world took roughly ten years. My timeline is different because Lews Therin Telamon killed many of the male Aes Sedai. This did not stop the breaking but it slowed it down.**

**As always, thanks for the reviews. The next chapter should be out in a few days.**


	7. The More Things Change

**Disclaimer: I don't own (unfortunately) anything related to Rowling's Harry Potter or Jordan's Wheel of Time.**

**Chapter 6: The More Things Change…**

**August 21st, 1995**

_**Grimmauld Place**_

With a loud crack Sirius apparated into his bedroom in Grimmauld Place carrying Harry. Walking over to the bed, he gently placed Harry on the bed. Just as he finished, Remus and the other two men appeared in the room. Remus was about to conjure two beds when Sirius suggested "Moony, let's put them into your room. We don't know what's going on and until we do I want to keep as much of this quiet as possible."

Moony nodded, cast a quick _Mobilicorpus _on both men and brought them into his bedroom. Once he was finished, he returned to Sirius's bedroom. "Sirius we need to get Poppy over here to check him out."

"Ok, but tell her it is for me. Once she is here we can make sure she keeps things to herself." Looking at Harry lying in the bed, Sirius felt most of the tension roll of him that had been there from the day he disappeared. Now he needed to hear what had happened to Harry while he was missing.

Remus left the room to go floo Poppy at Hogwarts. Sirius pulled up a chair and sat next to Harry, studying all the changes. Clearly he was older, that was the most obvious change, he looked like he was 25 and his hair was much shorter. The way it was styled, short and somewhat spiky, it did nothing to hide his scar which was a big change from what Sirius was used to. He was also much taller and no longer so skinny. All in all, Harry had grown up to look like a rougher or more rugged version of James.

Approximately 15 minutes later, Remus returned with Poppy following on his heels. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Sirius apparently unharmed sitting next to the bed. Looking questioningly at Remus she asked "What's going on? You said Sirius was hurt?"

Sirius answered in a solemn voice "Poppy, we need a witch's oath from you that nothing you do or see here will leave this room until you get the ok from us."

Poppy took a moment to look over Sirius and noted his expression and body language. She decided it was best to go along for now, they wouldn't ask this lightly. "I agree, on my magic, I will not speak of what I do or see here until I have your leave to do so." A faint white glow surrounded the three of them as she finished her oath.

With a faint smile on his face, the first she had seen since Harry's disappearance, Sirius explained "We found Harry. He was unconscious so we brought him here. Until we know what happened to him, Remus and I want to keep his return a secret. Hopefully it will only be a day or two. Also, he was not alone and there are two other men that we need you to look over."

Whatever she had been expecting to hear, it wasn't that. Getting over her shock she said "I assume that is Harry in the bed." Seeing Remus' nod, her voice took on a professional tone "Well, move out of the way, let me see what he has gotten himself into this time.

Striding over to the bed and budging Sirius out of the way, Poppy got her first look at Harry. She gasped and was about to accuse them of lying to her about his identity when she noticed the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. Muttering to herself about the trouble prone Boy-Who-Lived, she proceeded to wave her wand over his body running a series of magical and medical scans. Frowning, she repeated the scans and came back with the same results.

After seeing Poppy frown and repeat the scans, Remus asked "What did you find?"

"He must have something on him that is interfering with some of the scans. Physically he is fine. We could give him a Pepper-Up potion now to wake him up with no danger." Pausing for a moment before continuing, "It is the scans of his magic that are confusing. According to the scans, he does not have a magic core anymore. Yet all the other tests confirm that he is Harry."

"Poppy, please give him the potion and then check on the other two men. If their condition is the same, it may be best to leave them unconscious until we hear Harry's story."

She rummaged around in her black satchel for a moment before pulling out a vial filled with a light blue potion. Steam began to pour out of Harry's ears after she had poured it down his throat. Once he started to rouse, she left to go check on the other two men.

Harry moaned with his eyes still closed "Uhhhh, what hit me?"

"Harry, open you eyes. You're safe here." Sirius said softly.

"Dad?" Harry asked before he opened his eyes blinking away the fuzziness.

"I wish it were Harry, it's me Sirius."

Startling the two older men, by bolting upright he choked out "Sirius? But that means…Oh god, why couldn't it have happened two weeks from now?"

Remus, confused, spoke up at this point "Why couldn't what have happened two weeks from now?"

Peering at Moony for a moment he exclaimed "Moony? Fuck! I am back in the 20th century." He proceeded to spit out a few more choice words before being cut off by Sirius and Remus.

"Harry!" Both men practically shouted at hearing him swear like a drunken sailor.

"Was there anyone else with me or did I arrive alone? For that matter, where did you find me?" Harry asked.

"There were three other men with you, but one opened some sort of doorway on the hill where we found you and stepped through disappearing."

Mumbling to himself, Harry said "That means that Acheron is here and most likely Seraph and Hunter as well. Now I am going to have to take care of him as well."

Finally losing his patience now that the relief at finding Harry had worn off, Sirius said in an exasperated voice "Harry, where have you been and why do you look like you are 25?"

Laughing and smiling broadly at the comment "Snuffles, are you trying to flirt with me? Because you know, it may come as a disappointment, but I don't swing that way. But to answer your question I am 37 but it is nice to know I have kept my youthful good looks."

Blushing brightly and spluttering at what Harry was implying "I'm not…I mean I wasn't…What?"

Even Remus was laughing at Sirius now. Poppy chose that moment to walk back into the room to see Harry and Remus doubled over they were laughing so much. "Well I see Mr. Potter is awake. Perhaps he can remove what is blocking my scans of his magic core."

Wiping the tears from his face, he said "I don't have anything on me that would block your scans."

"Then perhaps you could explain why they tell me that you do not have a magical core any more?" She asked.

Harry sighed and said you might want to get a chair; this is going to be a long story. "Before I begin, how are the other two men that were found with me?"

After she had conjured a chair and sat down she explained that they were both fine and should wake up in a day or so. It appeared to be a simple case of exhaustion.

Harry smiled again when he heard that his friends were ok. He saw that Sirius was once again getting that impatient look on his face so he went into his story. The only part that he left out was the meeting with James and Lily since that was something that needed to be kept secret.

After more than an hour during which the three remained silent while the listened to Harry's story, he finally reached the point where he woke up in Grimmauld Place. "So do you have any questions?"

Not surprisingly, Remus jumped in first with "You're 37 years old? Because of this One Power you could live hundreds of years but physically you don't really age?"

"Yes, I am 37 but those of us who can channel do age physically we just do it at a much slower rate. My dad was 161 years old when I arrive and he looked like he was only 35 or 36."

Sirius had a sad expression on his face when he asked "Harry, why do you call him dad?"

"I know this may hurt you to hear as their friends, but I never knew James or Lily. While it wasn't there fault, they were never there when I really needed a parent. Lews and Ilyena were able to give me that. I still love James and Lily and that is why I kept Potter in my last name, but Lews and Ilyena are my mum and dad."

"I just wish it could have been different." Sirius said.

"So do I Snuffles." Harry said, trying to lighten the mood.

Poppy asked "What happened to your magic core?"

"We think that when I first used the portal stone, I burned out my magic because its power was used in addition to Saidin. It could also be that the two are mutually exclusive, but at some point in the future, there is no magic. Those who can channel are the closest to the wizards and witches of today."

Harry went on "We need to test the effectiveness of magic vs. Saidin tomorrow. I suggest we do it at some remote location. I am capable of some rather impressive feats of destruction."

"I had best head back to Hogwarts." Noticing the expression on Harry's face, she said "Don't worry, I already took a witch's oath not to say anything." Closing the door behind her as she left, she walked downstairs and flooed back to Hogwarts.

After she left, the three men were silent for a few minutes until Sirius finally asked the question that had been on his mind since Harry began his story. "Harry, do you plan on staying here or are you going to go back?"

"Before I answer that, I need you to be 100 honest with me. Do you know why Voldemort went after me and my parents that night?"

Remus answered without hesitating "There was some prophecy, but neither Sirius nor I ever knew the contents."

Sensing the honesty of the answer in his eyes, Harry relaxed a little. "Good, I was hoping you weren't keeping things from me. During one of my visits to _Tel'aran'rhiod_, the dream world, I found out about the prophecy. It essentially says that I am the only one who can kill Voldemort and that I will have a power he knows not. So I plan on staying here long enough to finish Voldemort off and then returning to the future."

Neither man was really surprised at either revelation, the prophecy or Harry's plan to leave. He had always hated his fame and it sounded like he had made a place for himself in the future. Hesitantly Sirius asked "Can I go with you?"

"I don't see why not. You realize that your magic may not work in the future and without me, you would have no way back."

"Other than you and Moony, I don't have anything here. I am a fugitive. I am not even supposed to leave this house. At least in the future I could be free. And I have already lost you once. I don't want to do it again."

Harry looked to Moony at that point, raising his eyebrows as if waiting for the same questions from Moony. Instead what he got was "I don't know if I could go with you Padfoot. I need to think about it."

Harry just nodded and said "You have time. I am not going anywhere until Voldemort is taken care of. If you don't mind, can we continue this conversation tomorrow? I am really tire and need to get some sleep."

Once Sirius and Remus left the room, Harry decided to go to _Tel'aran'rhiod_ that night. He needed to get some answers and if possible a favor from James and Lily. Harry and his friends each had their own room. After discussing the plans for the next day, Harry announced that he was going to bed. Once in his room, he went through the exercises necessary to enter _Tel'aran'rhiod._

_**Tel'aran'rhiod**_

After arriving, he began to call out "James Potter! Lily Potter! This is your son Harry. I need to speak with you." He paused, waiting for a few minutes but didn't see anyone appear. He tried again "James, Lily I know this violates the precepts but it is critical that I speak with you." Just as he was about to yell out again, he heard a voice.

"Harry what are you doing here? No one even knows of the existence of this place let alone that Lily and I are part of the pattern now."

Smiling, Harry said "Well, James let me tell you it is a long and strange tale I have for you. I am going to meet you for the first time when I am about 22 or so after I have traveled to the future. Then Lily will tell me that you first met me here today when I am 37." Laughing at the hanging jaws and vacant expressions, he added "Maybe we should sit down. This is going to take awhile."

Harry tells them his story, catching them up on the events of the future. "So, remember when you meet me and I am younger, you need to act like we have never met before."

They both nodded their heads. Lily, her eyes bright with unshed tears from his story asked "What do you plan on doing now that you are back?"

Sighing Harry said "To be perfectly honest, I plan on staying here as short a time as possible. It isn't that life was easier there because god knows with the war against the Dark One it sure as hell wasn't but there I was accepted for who I was. Sure there were some people who thought I used my dad to get my position but after I was given the chance to prove myself they always backed off.

I have never had to opportunity to decide my own fate in this time. From the time I was 11 and introduced to magic, I have had the weight of the wizarding world on my shoulders. Even with the prophecy, what was done to help me prepare? Nothing!"

"What about Voldemort?" James asked. Before Harry could answer he went on "To be blunt, I think you should get out of this time as soon as you can. The wizarding world makes mess after mess for itself and then looks for someone to come in to save their collective asses." Seeing the shocked expression on Harry's face he laughed.

Lily jumped in with a smile for James "Really Harry, he is right. Being part of the pattern now we see the bigger picture. If you do fight Voldemort, don't do it to avenge us, do it only if you feel it is something you need to do for yourself. It is not your responsibility to save the world."

Feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Harry smiled a smile with no tension or trepidation, only contentment. "Thank you." He said sincerely. "I do expect to take on Voldemort before I leave. Not for Dumbledore or for the wizarding world but for the people I care about."

Lily asked "Harry, why did you live with the Dursleys, even if Sirius was in Azkaban there was another family that had already agreed to take you in. They were listed in our will."

"I don't know. I have never even heard about a will. As far as I knew, the only thing you left me was my trust vault."

James was visibly upset at this, his face getting red as he said "You were supposed to be given a copy of the will when you turned 11! It would have given you access to the Potter Family vault where we left some things for you."

Not used to seeing James so upset Harry jumped in "I will go to Gringotts tomorrow to get access to the vaults and to find out why I was never given a copy of your will."

"I need to leave for tonight and get some real sleep, but I have a favor to ask before I go. In the future you train my dad and me in Occlumency to help protect us from being turned by the Dark One. Two of my friends are here and if Voldemort or one of the Death Eaters were to use _Imperio_ on them, the effects could be disastrous. Would you be willing to train them as well?"

James looking a little nervous said "Harry that is a huge violation of the precepts. While as a marauder I am all for breaking rules, we need to think this over. Let us give you an answer next time meet. Ok?"

"Fair enough. It is good seeing you two again." With that Harry left _Tel'aran'rhiod_ and fell into a normal sleep.

**August 22, 1995**

_**Grimmauld Place**_

Harry woke the next morning feeling refreshed. Not wasting time, he got dressed quickly after a short shower and went to check on his two friends. Opening the door, he saw Seraph and Hunter lying on the beds that Remus had conjured. He channeled and used his minimal skills at healing to determine their condition. After he was convinced that neither was injured, he woke his two friends up by creating a pool of ice-cold water above their heads and letting it fall. Both Hunter and Seraph shot up in their beds with loud yelps, looking around wildly when their eyes fell on to Harry's laughing form. Based on their expressions, Harry knew he should expect retribution.

Once his two friends were awake and dry, Harry began to explain what had happened. He told them how he had traveled to their time and met his parents, something he had always been rather close-mouthed about before. He also told them about the prophecy with Voldemort and the foretelling linking him to the Dragon. He finished with an explanation of wizards, witches and magic. When he was done, he said "Guys, I am sorry for getting you into this, but I never expected anyone to be dragged back here with me."

Hunter was practically bouncing on his bed. "I can't believe we are in the past. This will be fascinating to see magic and how people used to live."

Rolling his eyes at Hunter, Seraph said "It's not your fault, besides it sounds like as long we stay with you, we will be able to go back with you too."

Breathing a sigh of relief that his friends did not hate him, Harry said "With Acheron back here with us, I am going to need your help in tracking him down as well as Voldemort. Once the three of us talk to Sirius and Remus, we need to get an idea of how effective Saidin is versus magic and vice versa. We also need to find another portal stone. According to Sirius, the one we used is destroyed."

Eyes alight with eagerness and curiosity, Hunter said "I can start researching to find any mentions of other portal stones. We know they exist in the future so they are somewhere."

"You can start that later. Remus is a bookworm like you, so he would probably jump at the chance to help." Harry said with a laugh. "For now, let's get some breakfast and talk to Sirius and Remus."

Their discussion complete Harry directed his two friends to the bathroom where they could clean up. After everyone was ready, they walked downstairs in search of the kitchen. Inside Sirius and Remus were already sitting at the table eating breakfast. "Seraph, Hunter this is my god father Sirius and uncle Remus. Sirius, Remus this is Seraph and Hunter two of my best friends and fellow Aes Sedai." After the introductions were complete, they all sat down to eat.

After Harry and company finished eating breakfast, he asked "So where can we go that is remote? We don't want to be disturbed and it should be somewhere outside of the jurisdiction of the ministry so we don't we need to worry about Sirius."

"There is the island in the Caribbean that I used as a hideout last year, but I am not sure how we could there. It is too far for either Remus or I to apparate, especially if we have to take you three lumps along." Sirius said.

Seraph smiled at that and Hunter laughed before saying "I don't think you have to worry about that. Our methods of Traveling are far more efficient that yours."

Remus looked puzzled, he could almost hear the capital 'T' in the word Traveling. "What do you mean? Are you talking about what that other man did?" Remus noticed the frown that formed on Harry's face at the mention of the 4th man they had seen yesterday.

Seeing his friend's expression Seraph said "You will see in a moment. If everyone is ready, we should go into the other room. We will need more room if we don't want to destroy anything."

"We can use the dueling chamber downstairs." Sirius suggested. He got up and led the 4 men down a set of stone steps to a large room that was largely empty. Ancient swords and shields carrying the Black family crest could be seen adorning the walls.

Seraph started grinning and the sparkle in his eyes could be seen by everyone in the room as he set his eyes on the swords. "Harry look, we will be able to continue your daily trouncing. We wouldn't that head of yours to get too big, being the Boy-Who-Lived and all."

"Perhaps we should include some channeling in our duels. I think there is a certain blade master that could stand to be taken down a peg or two myself." Harry's eyes were dancing mischievously as said "I think even Hunter should be able to accomplish that."

Hunter was snickering at the banter between his friends when realized he had just been insulted "Hey! Be careful, you know we only keep you around for the heavy lifting."

Sirius and Remus grinned at each, happy that Harry was so relaxed and comfortable with his friends. Their grins were quickly replaced by shock as Harry opened a portal to the island Sirius had mentioned.

A vertical silver line about 8' in length appeared in front of him and then rotated 90 degrees so that it was now horizontal. Then before he could blink the line spilt in two with one sliding up to a height of 8' and the other sinking down to the ground creating a 8x8 silver square that faded to show a portal opening to the rolling green hills with light vegetation of the tropical island.

Seraph and Hunter immediately stepped through the portal, followed by Harry. "Are you coming or not?" He asked.

Shaking their heads the two marauders stepped through the portal and jumped when it snapped shut behind them disappearing. "Can you go anywhere with that thing?" Sirius asked.

Hunter jumped in, being the academic of the three and explained that whoever opened a portal had to be familiar with the area they were starting in, but the exit could be anywhere. The only part requiring power was the size of the portal, distances did not matter.

Remus, clearly excited by what he had just seen asked "Why did we need an empty room, granted Harry's portal seemed large but does it make a difference?"

"No it doesn't but a portal will slice through anything like a hot knife through butter when it snaps open be it a person or an object." Hunter responded. He was happy to find someone who was more academically inclined than either Seraph or Harry.

Not wanting to listen to a lecture, Sirius jumped in "Harry, this is your show. What do you want to do?"

"We will start with the simple things, I will create a shield and I want you and Moony to try and break through using every spell you know, including the Unforgivables. Don't worry; unlike with _Protego_ I will not be behind the shield, so if a spell makes it through you won't hit me."

After seeing Moony and Padfoot nod, he used air to create a shimmeringblue shield. Moony started off by casting a simple bludgeoning hex which smashed into the shield and had no visible effect and then a _Stupefy_. Padfoot followed with _Incendio _and a _Reducto_ in quick succession. As before, the spells clearly impacted the shield but had no effect. Finally, Moony stepped it up and cast _Concussio_; the concussion hex slammed into the shield and shattered it. The pieces evaporated as they fell to the earth.

Hunter created another shield similar to the one used by Harry to protect the Collam Daan using fire and air. This time the shield was a deep blue. Moony and Padfoot went through the same spells but the shield remained even after Moony cast _Concussio_. Padfoot cast the blasting hex followed by _Crucio_. Swallowing nervously, Moony cast _Avada Kedavra_ even though it was just a test; he was uncomfortable casting this spell. The shield seemed to glow for a moment at the impact of the spell and then shattered.

"I guess we know that Saidin holds up very well against magic. Now, I need you to create a shield and we will test it against a few basic attacks." Harry said.

Because he was stronger than Moony, Sirius cast_ Protego_ and a transparent gold wall sprang into being. Harry used and air and water to charge his hand with electricity and then threw his hand forward. The lightning struck the shield and crackled along the edges before the shield fell apart and the remains of the lightning struck Sirius in the chest.

Once he recovered, Sirius cast an Auror level shield _Protego Maximo_. Seraph stepped forward this time and rather than using lightning, he channeled pure fire at the shield. Hunter was standing by, ready to help Sirius. Again, the shield appeared to hold for a moment before flashing into nothingness. Sirius barely dodged out of the way of the incoming bar of fire that shot just inches over his head.

"Harry that was an Auror level shield, if you can break through it that easily, I would say you will have a distinct advantage."

"We will need every advantage we can get. Cast that shield again though, I want to try something."

After Sirius cast _Protego Maximo_, Harry used air to wrap Sirius' arms against his body and to put a gag in his mouth. Sirius would have fallen over if Harry hadn't been holding him up. After releasing Sirius, he said "Clearly, the shield is directional only, are there any full body shields you can use?"

Moony stepped in "I can try the Shield of Justice, it is probably the strongest shield but it takes a lot of power. That's why you don't see it used too often."

"Do it." Harry ordered.

A little surprised at hearing the commanding tone from Harry, Moony cast _Aegis ab Aequitas_. A pale white dome spread out from Moony till it extended a foot in every direction. Harry tried to wrap Moony in air they way he had for Sirius and found he couldn't get through the shield. Another weak lightning bolt like the one he used against Sirius simply dispersed across the dome. Moony was grinning thinking he was safe and cast a quick _Tarantallegra_. The spell hit Harry in the chest and he started dancing uncontrollably, much to the pleasure of the other 4 men.

Once he had regained control of his legs, Harry said smirking "So you want to play do you?" Opening himself once more to Saidin he sank to one knee and slammed his fist into the ground and forced flows earth in the direction of Moony. Immediately, the earth started shaking and a trench easily 10 feet deep, moved towards the werewolf who quickly dodged out of the way. Before he could regain his feet, Harry channeled earth and fire into an explosion on the edge of the shield, throwing the rock and earth in all direction and causing the shield to buckle visible before returning to its dome shape. Moony was struggling to regain his balance after the explosion when Harry channeled two separate attacks at the same time. The first attack was a jet of water that he shot directly at the shield and the second attack was to charge the water jet with electricity. The shield, already weakened from the explosion fell almost immediately after the water and electricity began coursing over it. Once the shield fell, Harry dropped the flows and reverted to simple air. He wrapped Moony's legs in air and picked him, letting him dangle upside down a few feet over the now muddy ground.

"I guess you shouldn't have thrown that spell, ehh Moony?" Sirius laughed at his friend who was still hanging upside down. "You have to admit though, that was pretty damn impressive."

Sirius looked over at Harry who was currently joking about something with his two friends. Occasionally one would glance at Moony and laugh some more. "Harry, if you want to go to Gringotts today, we should probably leave."

Harry released the flows of air holding Moony aloft and created a portal back to Grimmauld Place. Unfortunately for Moony, Harry didn't lower him to the ground when he released him, so Moony came crashing down and landed in a heap in a rather large mud puddle. Laughing, Harry ran through the portal.

A grumbling Moony was last through the portal as he tried to look dignified in his muddy robes which only made Harry laugh more. Once everyone had eaten lunch, Sirius changed into Padfoot. Harry looked at him for a moment "Sirius change back."

Once Padfoot changed back, Harry channeled and spun an illusion around Sirius changing his blue eyes to brown and lightening his hair to a sandy blond. He also made superficial changes to his face, giving him higher cheek bones and changing his nose to be more aquiline. "Moony hit him with a _Finite Incantatum_ to make sure magic can't dispel the illusion."

Doing as Harry asked, Moony cast the spell and nothing happened. He conjured a mirror for his friend to observe himself. Sirius smiled when realized that no one would recognize him and the effects wouldn't be dispelled. "Thanks Harry, you don't know what it means to be able to leave this house without having to look over my shoulder."

Harry hadn't bothered with a disguise because most people would not recognize him because of his age and the fact that he looked radically different from an underweight 15 year old.

Nowthat everyone was prepared. Moony and Sirius apparated everyone to Gringotts.

_**Gringotts**_

The five men arrived at the front entrance to Gringotts. They entered and proceeded to an open teller. In a firm but polite voice Harry said "I would like to speak with the bank manager please."

Sneering at the wizards, the goblin asked "Why would he want to meet with you? It is not common practice for the manager to meet with wizards."

"Tell him, that Harry Potter would like to discuss the reasons why my parents' will was never read despite their explicit instructions to do so when I turned 11." Harry said coolly, his eyes never leaving the goblin's face.

The goblin glanced up to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead before nodding and scurrying off to talk with the manager. While they were waiting Sirius asked "Harry how did you know your parents had a will and that it was supposed to be read to you when you turned 11?"

"I will explain that once we are back at the house." Harry glanced around significantly before saying "I don't want to get into it here."

A few minutes later, the goblin returned and said "Ragnok will see you now. Please follow me."

They were lead to a large office. The walls were a light grey marble with gold inlay and the floor was dark grey, almost black marble. The symbol of Gringotts was embossed in the center of the floor in solid gold. There was little furniture in the room except for a large ebony desk and a few chairs for the clients. Sitting behind the desk was an ancient looking goblin wearing an impeccable suit in the muggle fashion and a pair of wire rim spectacles.

Before he left the room, the goblin conjured enough chairs for the 5 men to sit down. "So tell me Mr. Potter, why are you asking about your parent's will? We were told that you had waived the reading as unnecessary."

Clenching his teeth in an attempt to keep a tight reign on his anger, Harry ground out "I was never made aware of the will, how would I have waived that right?"

Visibly losing some of his confidence, Ragnok replied "We were told by Albus Dumbledore that you had no desire to have the will read."

Harry was pissed and said with contempt. "So, you blithely accept his word that the last surviving member of a family close to 1,000 years old does not wish to have his parent's will read. I thought goblins were supposed to be intelligent. Apparently I was mistaken!"

"Mr. Potter, please we had no reason to suspect Dumbledore of deception." Ragnok said reasonably. His only hope was to redirect Harry's anger towards Dumbledore.

"That's bullshit and you know it! I want my parents' will read now!" Harry said is a voice that could freeze blood.

"But Mr. Potter, Dumbledore ordered the will sealed. We would need his …" Ragnok never finished his sentence. A deep rumbling came from the foundations of the building as all of Gringotts began to shake as if caught in an earthquake. Marble tiles on the ceiling began to crash to the floor and screams could be heard from the main lobby.

Sirius and Remus were looking nervously at Harry while his friends simply leaned back in their chairs enjoying the show. They had noticed Harry weave a shield above their heads as they sat down so they knew Harry was not nearly as angry as he appeared.

"Ragnok, I will bring Gringotts down around your ears if you do not have my parents' will read now." Harry said in a quiet voice as he continued to increase the strength of the quake causing more tiles to crash to the floor and cracks to appear in the walls and floor.

Ragnok was trembling and visibly pale which is normally quite difficult to see with goblins. An entire section of his office wall crashed to the floor before Ragnok begged "We will do as you ask, but please stop whatever it is you are doing."

Releasing Saidin, Harry simply nodded his head as Ragnok ran out of the office to get the will.

After he was gone, Remus said in a quiet nervous voice "Harry, you need to be careful, you almost brought the building down on our heads."

Seraph laughed at this said "You didn't notice the shield that has been above us the entire time. The entire building could have collapsed and we would have been fine. Now the goblins…"

"But why were you angry with Ragnok? It was Dumbledore's fault not his." Remus persisted.

Sirius answered instead of Harry "Regardless of who told them to waive the reading of the will, the goblins should never have done that. Especially since Harry is the last living Potter. There is something else going on here."

Ragnok returned a few minutes later. He was more nervous then ever as he sat down behind his desk once again. He had witnessed the damage to the main lobby when he went to retrieve the will; walls had collapsed; the floor was covered in shattered tiles that fell from the ceiling and portions of the floor had collapsed into the tunnels below. Even with magic, it would take a while to repair all the damage.

Clearing his throat he began to read the will.

_We James Potter and Lily Potter being of sound mind and body bequeath the following. A copy of this will is to be given to our son Harry James Potter on his 11th birthday. _

_Harry, we can only hope you never have to hear this, but know that we love you and regret that we are not with you now. If you haven't already been told by Albus Dumbledore, there is a prophecy about the one who will defeat Voldemort. Go to the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic to learn the contents. _

_In the event of our deaths, we have designated Sirius Orion Black as Harry's guardian. If something should happen to Sirius, then arrangements have been made for the Greengrass family to become Harry's guardian. Remus we would have gladly asked you but the law wouldn't allow it._

_To Sirius Orion Black we leave the sum of 5,000,000 galleons and the Marauder's Hideout. Please take good care of Harry and help him to prepare for his battle with Voldemort._

_To Remus John Lupin we leave the sum of 5,000,000 galleons and the Potter Cottage. Forgive us for ever thinking you may have been the traitor. Please help Sirius to raise Harry. Together you can give him the home he deserves._

_To Peter Pettigrew we leave nothing. If we are dead, then he is the traitor because he was our secret keeper._

_To Harry, our dear son, we leave everything else. Harry as you are now 11, the head of the Potter family falls to you. Just know that we are proud of you and everything you will become._

Ragnok paused "The remaining beneficiaries are all dead as are their families so their bequeathments will remain in your family vaults." This was the moment of truth, if he was lucky, he would be able to limit the damage to Gringotts. All they had to do was leave now and everything could be hidden.

Remus asked a question "Ragnok, all wizarding wills have to 2 witnesses in order to be valid. Who were the witnesses?"

"Albus Dumbledore and myself." He said in a very quiet voice.

Harry was quiet as he contemplated the childhood that Dumbledore had stolen from his and the innocent man he had sent to Azkaban. Even though he had known of the prophecy for quite some time, he hadn't been aware of the full extent of Dumbledore's manipulations.

Everyone in the room was shocked. Sirius was the first to react, eyes blazing and his magic was radiating off him as he growled "That bastard knew I was innocent and he sent me to Azkaban anyway!"

Ragnok flinched back when he realized who Sirius was. Harry was truly furious now. Not only had Dumbledore messed up his childhood, he had deliberately sent Sirius to prison. Harry grabbed the will from his hands and handed it to Hunter for safe keeping.

Then he leaned put his hands on the desk and leaned into Ragnok's face saying "I think we need to have a little discussion don't we." As he said this bright blue fire burst from his hands and consumed the desk. Everyone in the room could feel the wash of heat as the desk was reduced to ashes. "NOW RAGNOK! EXPLAIN!"

"Dumbledore made a deal with us. In return for concealing the will, we got a percentage of the Potter family vault as well as all the interest earned since your parents died." Ragnok babbled.

"Money! You did this for money!" Disgust evident on Harry's face. "I want it all back. The money you took in addition to the interest earned and any paperwork you have. I find it hard to believe you would take this kind of chance without having something to keep Dumbledore off your back."

"Of…Of course Mr. Potter." Calling out in a loud voice. "Cragilk!"

A young goblin ran into the office. Ragnok ordered him to retrieve all the paperwork associated the 'Potter Transaction.' Harry reviewed the paperwork briefly after Ragnok handed it to him. It clearly outlined the agreement to give part of the Potter Vault to the goblins and to actively conceal his heritage. Even better, it was signed by both Ragnok and Dumbledore.

"Ragnok, I would like you to personally take us to my family vault now."

Nodding his head quickly, Ragnok led the men to a railcar to bring them to the vault. After a 15 minute ride, they arrived at vault 8.

Harry looked questioningly at Ragnok as he stood in front of the vault door. "Place you hand on your family crest Mr. Potter and the vault will open."

Doing as he was instructed, Harry felt a small prick in his hand as the crest sampled his blood to ensure he was a Potter. Satisfied, the vault door swung inward revealing a massive chamber, the size of the great hall in Hogwarts. It was filled with mountains of galleons, sickles and knuts. The rear third of the room seemed to be devoted to the personal effects of various Potters throughout the ages.

Before he walked into the vault, Harry motioned for the other four men to follow him. The back of the vault was lined with swords and old suits of armor, many of them with the Potter crest enameled on the chest plate. There were portraits of many of his family with one as recent as his grandparents. Unfortunately, he learned his parents had not gotten around to having one created. Still, once the portraits were awakened again, he could get to know his extended family.

Remus and Hunter were virtually drooling over a section of the wall that was covered from floor to ceiling with shelf after shelf of books on every topic ranging from history and law to DADA and charms. Harry wandered over to see what they were looking at. He chuckled and suggested that Remus pack the books into a couple of the trunks in the vault and bring them with.

For Harry, perhaps the most important thing in the vaults was his parents' old school trunks. They were filled with the Potter family signet ring, family photos, personal journals, and other mementos. After asking Sirius to shrink the trunks and bring them with, they left the vault. "Ragnok, I need 5,000 Pounds. Please have it ready for us by the time we are in the lobby."

Ragnok issued a command into a round stone engraved with goblin runes. "The money will be waiting for you Mr. Potter." Their business complete, they returned to the main lobby where Harry was handed a wallet containing his money.

Before they left the bank, Harry said "Ragnok, I want my vault prepared for transfer. All monetary assets should be converted to British Pounds and all items are to be stored in trunks for my retrieval within the next two days. I expect the Pounds to be deposited into an account in my name at Barclays"

"But Mr. Potter, are you sure you want to do that? Gringotts is the safest place on earth for storage." Ragnok was desperate to prevent the massive loss of funds from such a transfer. The Potter vault was one of the largest in all of Gringotts.

"Apparently it isn't safe from the goblins now is it? I want the transfer executed by tomorrow morning and Gringotts will cover any associated fees." He said resolutely.

Sighing in resignation, Ragnok went off to execute the transfer.

Sirius was stunned that Harry would let the goblins off so easy. "That's it, you're just going to close your account and let them get away with it?"

"Who sad that? When I am through with Gringotts, every pureblood in Britain will be transferring their accounts to muggle banks. Imaging how they will react to proof that goblins were conspiring to steal from an ancient pureblood family, conceal my heritage and knowingly send an innocent pureblood to jail."

Remus posed a question as they were walking out of the bank "How are you going to do that?"

Harry replied somewhat smugly "My dear Moony, the goblins have giving me the evidence to bury them. I think a visit to the ministry tomorrow morning is in order. After all, I am sure Minister Fudge will not be happy to hear that all those bribes he no doubt receives are in danger. An interview with Rita Skeeter would probably put the last nail in the goblins' coffin. I will have to think on that one."

After they had apparated back to Grimmauld Place, they left again to muggle London so that Harry, Seraph and Hunter could by clothes for their stay in the 20th century. After a few hours of shopping, wearing new clothes Harry and Co. returned to Grimmauld Place.

_**Grimmauld Place**_

The five men sat down in the library to begin making plans. Seraph was the first to speak "What has Dumbledore been doing since Voldemort's return?"

Sirius responded "Remus and I have been helping him gather the old crowd again and restart the Order of the Phoenix." Seeing the question on Seraph's face, he explained "The Order of the Phoenix was a group working outside of the Ministry that Dumbledore formed to fight Voldemort."

From there Seraph began to question Sirius and Remus on the tactics used by the Order, their effectiveness against the Death Eaters, and what has been done since Voldemort's first defeat. Seraph frowned when he heard that the group had been disbanded after the events of '81 and that so many criminals were allowed back into society with little to no punishment.

When Seraph started to trail off, Harry started asking questions about the Ministry's reaction to Voldemort's return. Remus glanced quickly at Sirius and told Harry that the Ministry was denying his return and claiming that he was just an attention seeking kid. Harry actually laughed at this which was just another sign to Sirius and Remus of how much Harry had changed. "I think the Ministry will be surprised to see how much I have changed."

Seraph spoke up again. "Harry, this isn't going to work. We can't spend years here fighting this war. We need to get back, if the assault on Shayol Ghul does not succeed, your father will need all the help he can get."

"I agree, but what do you suggest?" Harry asked, knowing that Seraph would come up with something. Seraph was the strategist of their little trio while Harry was the tactician. Hunter rounded out the trio by providing the military intelligence and analysis.

"As I see it, there are two main issues. The first is this Dumbledore. We need to either remove him entirely or marginalize at a minimum. He has had 14 years to prepare for this guy's return and prepare you for it and he has apparently done nothing. My preference would be to remove him from the picture entirely."

Sirius interrupted at this point "But Dumbledore is the only man that Voldemort is afraid of. If you remove him, then he will probably attack more openly."

Harry replied to this "That is exactly what we want. I may be the one who has to fight Voldemort in the end, but it is pathetic that the wizarding world relied upon a 1 year old to defeat him the first time and is looking to me to protect them now. You heard my plans; I am not staying here after this is over. The wizarding world needs to wake up and take responsibility for the mess they have created."

Hunter jumped in "Harry is right, with Dumbledore out of the way, Voldemort should reemerge. Plus, if the first war came down to Harry defeating Voldemort then I don't think that Dumbledore was doing a very effective job in the first place."

Taking over Seraph went on "The other primary issue is the Ministry. If they are ignoring his return, then they will be a detriment to the effort because they will most likely try to actively hide anything going on. Is there anyone in the Ministry that is likely to believe the idea that Voldemort is back?"

Remus replied "Madame Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is probably the highest ranking member to be willing to consider the idea."

Seraph continued to ask questions and clarify the strategic goals that needed to be accomplished. It was decided that a regime change at the ministry and the incarceration of Dumbledore would be the first two goals. The third goal discussed was to begin recruiting members from the Order of the Phoenix, but if they were successful against Dumbledore, they may not be immediately critical as Harry was the natural person to step into his position.

"When is the next meeting of the Order?" Harry asked

"We have been using this house as our headquarters and the next meeting is tomorrow night, so unless you want to go on concealing your return…" Sirius responded.

"If we can meet with Madame Bones tomorrow, then I should be able to get the ball rolling on the Ministry and Dumbledore fronts. So, it will be necessary for me to introduce myself to the Order."

Remus spoke up, "Hermione and the Weasley's kids will probably be here too. Hermione was staying at the burrow and Molly is not going to want to leave the kids alone."

Harry's eyes became distant and he had a small smile as he remembered two of his best friends. "I haven't thought about them in ages. It will be interesting to see how they react to the new me."

After the discussion, Remus left for the ministry to setup an appointment to meet with Madame Bones. During this time, Harry was working out what would be presented. He was going to present the proof of Dumbledore's conspiracy against himself and Sirius. He hoped that the proof would also start the ball rolling to get Fudge thrown out of office as he had had Sirius committed to Azkaban without a trial.

During dinner, Harry brought up another topic. "Why don't wizards or witches use guns?"

Remus said "It just isn't done. Most of us are too prejudiced against anything invented by Muggles."

Seraph, understanding the direction Harry was going asked "Are they effective? Will they penetrate a shield?"

"Yes, I think they will. Why?"

Harry explained his idea. He wanted Remus and Hunter to research different guns and rifles that could be used to kill Death Eaters from a distance. He also asked them to begin researching the different types of body armor available, both muggle and magical. Once everything was prepared, they could test the armors to see which allowed for the greatest mobility and protection.

**August 23, 1995**

_**Grimmauld Place**_

After he woke up, Harry took a quick shower and got dressed. He decided that he was not going to wear wizard robes, they were simply not suited the style of fighting he was accustomed to and he didn't feel entirely comfortable with the lack of mobility they offered. Instead he choose to wear black cotton chinos, a white t-shirt, a silk midnight blue button down, and his once concession to wizarding fashion, a pair of black dragon hide boots. Once he was finished dressing, he walked downstairs to get breakfast.

While Harry was sitting at the breakfast table eating, Sirius wandered in and plopped down in one of the chairs, clearly half-asleep. His hair was a mess; he was wearing plaid pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt. Harry smile at the sight of his godfather, clearly he wasn't a morning person. "Coffee?" Harry offered.

"God yes!" Sirius mumbled and then said "Thanks" when Harry handed him a cup.

By this time Seraph and Remus had wandered in and were preparing their own breakfasts. Both men were wide awake and alert, unlike Sirius. Last to enter was Hunter. While all the men were eating, Seraph asked "What's on the agenda for today?"

"I think Remus, Seraph and I should go to the Ministry to speak with Madame Bones. If everything goes according to plan, we can get an investigation started into Dumbledore and potentially Fudge. Also, I would like to get a hearing for Sirius. We clearly don't have enough evidence for a summary pardon, but the will should provide enough evidence to warrant a hearing since he was never given the chance at a fair trial in the first place."

"Shouldn't I come with you then?" Sirius asked, finally awake after his 3rd cup of coffee.

"No, this is a battle that will be fought as much in the press as it is in the political arena. We want the press to have your story spread across newspaper headlines for days to make it harder for both Dumbledore and the Minister to deny it or cover up the story."

Grudgingly, frustration clearly showing in his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes "I suppose but it isn't right that I have to keep hiding."

Remus gave Sirius' shoulder a squeeze "No, it isn't but then you should never have been in prison in the first place and Dumbledore has known that all along."

"Hunter I would like you to begin looking for any information you can find on where potential portal stones may be located."

"Sirius, can you get the dueling ready for both muggle and magical combat. We are going to need a spot we can use to test the effectiveness of the guns and I don't feel like going to that tropical island every time. Nice as it was."

"Ok, but you know I can't leave this house."

"Have Hunter weave an illusion around you and there should be no problems. Just don't get caught until we can get a hearing for you."

_**Department of Magical Law Enforcement**_

A short while later, Remus left for the Ministry. He was going to signal Harry through a two-way mirror once he was in Madame Bones' office so they could Travel in, that way Harry's involvement could remain unknown for the time being. At exactly 11am, Remus called for Padfoot so that Madame Bones wouldn't recognize the name. Sirius responded "They're on their way; make sure no one gets in the way."

Madame Bones was not sure what to make of this appointment. She had been very surprised when her niece's favorite DADA teacher, a known werewolf, asked for some of her time. She motioned him to sit down, but when he pulled out a two-way mirror she was tempted to call for Aurors. After all, one couldn't be too careful. Instead he walked to the wall on behind her desk and motioned for her to stand next to him. She hesitated until she saw vertical line form a foot in front of her desk. As she watched with her jaw hanging open, the portal opened, slicing right through the two chairs in front of the desk. Once it was open, Harry and Seraph stepped through, letting the portal snap shut behind them.

Remus cast _Reparo_ restoring the two chairs and conjured a third chair for himself. Now one does not get to be the Head of the DMLE by being a pushover and Amelia Bones was anything but a pushover. Madame Bones got over her shock quickly and standing behind her desk said in an authoritative voice "What is the meaning of this? Who are you?"

Remus said "Amelia Bones may I present to you Harry Potter and Seraph Caelestis."

This couldn't be the Boy-Who-Lived. He looked to be 25 years old. "I don't know what kind of joke you are playing, but I will not waste any more time on it."

"What will it take to prove my identity to you?" Harry asked, having expected her doubts.

"Veritaserum." She answered promptly.

"I am ok with that. Do you have any available?"

Pulling a small vial of the clear potion from her desk drawer she administered three drops. After Harry's eyes lost their focus and glazed over she asked her questions.

"Who are you?"

"Harry James Potter-Telamon." Amelia was a little confused at the last name but pressed on.

"Who are your parents?"

"My birth parents are James and Lily Potter. My adoptive parents are Lews Therin Telamon and Ilyena Telamon"

"Why do appear to be 25 years old?"

"At the beginning of the summer I was thrown into the future where I lived for 22 years until returning back to the 20th century 2 days ago." After she heard his answer, Amelia was at a loss for words. Curiosity getting the best of her, she administered the antidote so she could get the full story. Harry shook his head clearing the fog from the Veritaserum potion.

"Frankly, I don't know where to begin Mr. Potter." Amelia said. She had so many questions running through her head.

"Madame Bones there are too many things to discuss in one meeting. I promise that if we end up working on the same side, you will get a full explanation. Now I have a question for you, what is the penalty for violating the direct instructions of a will?"

"Please call me Amelia. To answer your question, they could receive up to 5 years in Azkaban, but I did not think that your parents had a will."

Harry handed over a copy of his parents. He was not ready to hand over the original until he knew that he could trust Amelia. She frowned as she read the short document. Harry could almost see the gears turning in her head as she realized that not only had his parents' instructions been blatantly ignored but there was a good chance that an innocent man had been knowingly sent to prison.

"Mr. Potter …" Harry interrupted her and said smiling "Please call me Harry."

"Harry, clearly Albus violated your parents will, but he is very popular and will say that you were better off with your blood relatives." She was about to go on when Harry handed her the contract he signed with the goblins.

"If he was so confident about his decision why did he buy off the goblins with a significant amount of money from the Potter Family vault? Regardless of his popularity, he allowed a potentially innocent man be sent Azkaban and blatantly disregarded my parents' instructions which he was a witness to."

While she was still reviewing the contract with the goblins she said "Yes, about that secret keeper business, just because Sirius Black was not the secret keeper for your parents does not mean he was innocent."

"I agree with you Amelia but since he was never given a trial doesn't it at least warrant a hearing where he is allowed to present his testimony."

"Yes it would normally, but the Minister will not want it to go forward because it could be highly damaging."

Harry responded in a disparaging tone "I was under the impression that the DMLE was independent of the rest of the Ministry for just this reason. Apparently I was wrong. It would certainly explain the number of Death Eaters that have never gone to Azkaban."

Amelia visibly bristled at the implications of his comment "I do not bow to the Minister's need for public approval Mr. Potter!"

"Then I can expect to see the man hunt called off for Sirius Black and a hearing date scheduled in the near future?" He asked.

"Mr. Potter, a hearing could be very embarrassing and disruptive to the ministry. I am not sure it is in the best interests…" She didn't get any further.

In a cold, emotionless voice Harry said "So you, like Dumbledore, are willing to sacrifice innocent men for your own goals and interests. I am sorry, but the ends do not justify the means. If this is how you operate, then you and the wizarding world truly deserve Voldemort!"

Even Remus paled at that last comment. He stepped in and said in a reasonable tone "Harry, you didn't let Madame Bones finish. I am sure she was about to say that despite the potential damage to the ministry a hearing would be scheduled for this time next week."

"Is that what you were about to say Madame Bones?" Harry asked in a falsely sweet voice.

"Yes, yes it is." She said in a defeated tone. It wasn't that she wanted to send an innocent man back to Azkaban; she just didn't want the distraction with Voldemort's return. Unlike the Minister, she believed that Harry was telling the truth when he described Voldemort's resurrection after the 3rd task.

"Good, I apologize for making assumptions. I also plan on bringing charges against Albus Dumbledore for violating my parents will and participating in a conspiracy to embezzle funds from family's vault and hide my heritage from me."

Now Amelia was dumbstruck. She couldn't believe that Harry Potter was attempting to get Albus Dumbledore thrown into Azkaban. "Surely Mr. Potter, with Voldemort's return, you aren't serious about doing this. Dumbledore is critical to the fight."

Remus decided to ask a very pointed question "Amelia, what has Dumbledore done to fight Voldemort?"

"Well…" She realized that he had done nothing substantive that she was aware of.

"Amelia, would it surprise you to know that the prophecy mentioned in the will says that only Harry can kill Voldemort? In fact, it says that he is to kill or be killed. Albus has known that Voldemort would return for 14 years now."

"I can't say I am terribly surprised given the number of encounters you have had with him." She answered frankly.

He turned towards Harry and asked "Harry, what training have you received?"

"Other than normal schooling, the only special training I received was from you in my 3rd year to fight the dementors."

Amelia was floored by Harry's answer "But if he has known about the prophecy why would he do nothing to prepare you?"

"Why indeed. Dumbledore has had 14 years now to prepare for Voldemort's return and to help me prepare and he has done nothing. I will lay it all out on the table for you Amelia. Seraph and I have been fighting a war against a far greater foe than Voldemort and on a much larger scale for 4 years now. It is quite honestly pathetic that the wizarding world needed me to defeat Voldemort in the first place and continues to look to me as their savior. That said, I am willing to play my role as the savior one final time, but I am doing it on my own terms.

Dumbledore has had many opportunities and he has squandered them all. He needs to be removed from the playing field before he causes any more distractions with his manipulations.

No offence Amelia, but the Ministry has been equally ineffective. You have let corruption overwhelm the office, death eaters are allowed to go free on the flimsiest of excuses and you deny the return of Voldemort because it would hurt the popularity of the Minister. After Sirius' hearing and subsequent acquittal, I plan on bringing charges of false imprisonment against the Cornelius Fudge.

In the current environment, I truly see it as you are either with me or against me. So choose your side wisely because I am not like Dumbledore, I don't give second chances at redemption. The costs of such an option right now are simply too high."

Seraph nodded approvingly at Harry's remarks. They had seen too much appeasement early on in the War of Power. They both knew that in the end all it did was help the forces of the shadow grow in strength and numbers while allowing the forces of the Light to hide from the problem for a little longer.

Amelia's mind was racing as she thought about what Harry had said. Much of it was dead on, she couldn't deny that. She just wasn't sure she was ready to declare all out war against Dumbledore, Voldemort, and the Ministry and she said as much.

"Amelia, how many people are you willing to see die before you are willing to do what needs to be done? Your niece had already lost her parents, how many children will be orphaned this time? Make no mistake, either way you decide there are going to be deaths on both sides but with my option you can at least look the survivors in their eyes and tell them you are doing everything possible to prevent it from happening again. Could you honestly do that now?"

Remus suggested that she take some time to think things over before she makes her decision. Amelia nodded; she had much to think about.

"I assume you have heard of the Order of the Phoenix?" Harry asked.

After seeing Amelia nod once more, he continued "There is going to be a meeting tonight. I will stop by your office at 8:50pm to see if you are interested in coming. They will be given the same option you just were. Regardless of your decision, I expect to see a public announcement of Sirius' hearing. Lastly before we take our leave, can I have a copy of the charges against Dumbledore and the hearing notice for Sirius Black? I will make sure he is found and notified."

Once the necessary paperwork was completed, Harry thanked her for taking the time to meet with them. Seraph opened a portal and the three men returned to Grimmauld Place to discuss the outcome of the meeting with Sirius and Hunter and to prepare for the meeting with the Order of the Phoenix that evening.

As they were leaving, Amelia heard Seraph laugh and say "It's like we never left. Political infighting, betrayals, and manipulations, I guess it is true what they say. The more things change, the more they stay the same."

**A/N 1: A little shorter than the last couple of chapters, but it seemed like a good stopping point. Next chapter will see Harry reuniting with Ron and Hermione and the Order of the Phoenix meeting.**

**A/N 2: I normally enjoy the stories where Harry gets the goblins as allies, but I wanted to do something different. If Dumbledore were to try and cover everything up, it doesn't seem inconceivable that the goblins would go along willingly for the right price. **

**Thanks to those of you who have submitted reviews. The response has been greater than I expected since I haven't seen this crossover done too often. **


	8. If You Wrong Us Shall We Not Revenge

**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize I don't own.**

**Chapter 7: Wrong us, Shall We Not Revenge?**

**August 23, 1995**

_**Grimmauld Place**_

"So, how did it go with Amelia?" Sirius asked.

"It went about as well as we could hope. You have a hearing scheduled for this time next week. Here is the official notice." Harry handed a slip of paper to Sirius. After watching Sirius' face light up with hope, Harry added "It isn't over yet Sirius. At least this time, you will have the chance to tell your side of the story."

Sirius just stared at the paper. Remus taking charge led Sirius into the sitting room and said "Come one Sirius, let's get a drink."

Remus was trying to be very quiet once they were in the sitting room until he noticed a scorch mark on the wall where a very vocal portrait once hung. "What happened to the portrait of your mother?"

Sirius smiled, a great barking laugh escaped from him as he explained "Hunter set her off somehow. Just as she was getting into full voice, he did something that set the portrait on fire like Harry did with Ragnok's desk. It was over in seconds, now we don't need to worry about her spewing that filth anymore. That filthy house elf followed her example and offed himself too."

"What do you think is going to happen at the meeting tonight?" Remus asked.

"I think we are going to see some major fireworks. It is going to be fun to watch."

"She hasn't made up her mind yet, but I think Amelia is going to be joining Harry's camp. I could tell she wasn't comfortable with the idea of essentially declaring war on Voldemort, but Harry can be very convincing."

Sirius' face lost some of its life as he heard that "He's so different Moony. It's not a bad thing, he grew up but I can't help but think he won't want me around."

"Padfoot, don't be stupid. If he didn't want you around, he wouldn't be fighting so hard to get you free. He may not need you as a god father, but I know he wants you as a friend."

Sirius and Remus looked up as they heard Harry call out "Hey guys, when does our company arrive?"

"Hermione and Ron should be here in a hour or so. The meeting won't start until 7:30 tonight." Remus called back.

"Ok, Seraph and I are going to practice."

Seraph and Harry went down the stone stairs into the dueling chamber. Harry grabbed one of the swords off the wall and started loosening up. They both went through a series of stretches before the squared off in the center of the chamber.

"First round there is no channeling." Seraph said.

"Fine." Harry agreed and then proceeded to attack. The two went back and forth, swords flashing in high attacks and low blocks. Every so often, Seraph would strike out with his leg or his other hand distracting Harry and pushing him back. Despite, jokes to the contrary, Seraph was an excellent blade master and was far superior to Harry in pure swordplay and melee combat. Finally, after almost 20 minutes Seraph executed a successful foot sweep and knocked Harry onto his back.

"Another round?" Seraph asked.

"Sure, but this time channeling is allowed."

"Ok, but no direct attacks." This time, Seraph was the first to attack. He knew that with channeling thrown into the match, his chances of winning fell dramatically. As the familiar back and forth of the duel began, Harry channeled air to form small blocks behind Seraph's feet. After tying the flows off, so he didn't have to concentrate on maintaining the forms of air, he went on the attack pushing Seraph back and causing him to trip and fall over the blocks. As he fell, Seraph channeled and created a solid shield of earth and air that was much harder than steel. While Seraph pulled his legs underneath him and jumped back to his feet, Harry swung his sword at the shield only to have his sword shatter on impact.

"Ha, bet you wished you had a blade master's sword now." Seraph laughed as he watched Harry create a sword from solid air. Again the fight began and Harry channeled air to create a cover for his ears as he channeled a combination of earth to create a hollow sphere, and fire, water, air and spirit to create a swirling ball of light and energy inside the sphere. Seraph backed away because he was unsure of what Harry was doing. Once the sphere was complete, Harry tossed it at Seraph. Reacting on instinct, Seraph swung his sword through the sphere releasing an incredibly bright and loud explosion heard through the entire house which temporarily stunned him and ended the round.

After a few minutes, Seraph was able to shake off the effects and stood up. He asked "What the hell was that thing?" Looking up he noticed a number of people on the stairs. Sirius and Remus were standing at the top of the stairs accompanied by a two red headed teenagers and one bushy haired teenage girl.

Harry, not realizing that he had an audience, untied the flows of air letting his sword dissipate. "It was a flash-bang. When I started thinking about the body armor and guns, I remembered reading about grenades that are used to incapacitate without injuring. It just creates a blinding flash of light and deafening sound that stuns everyone within a certain radius. Should we call it a draw for the day?"

"I am fine with that. You will have to show me the flows for that flash-bang, that would be very effective and we may be able to adapt it to a larger scale. You should have Hunter look into it."

"That's a good idea. Let's head back upstairs." Harry said and turned around to see the audience standing on the stairs. Seraph was laughing behind his friends back. There on the steps stood Ron and Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger in addition to Sirius and Remus.

Ron was flushed slightly as he narrowed his eyes and said accusingly "Who are you!"

Before Harry or Seraph could answer, Ginny smacked him in the back of his head and chastised "Ron, don't be so rude."

"I don't think we've met. I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ron and Ginny Weasley. Are you new members of the Order because we have never seen you before?"

Harry just stared at them for a moment, drinking in the details. Hermione had filled out a little from the last time he saw her, her hair was shoulder length but just as bushy as ever while her clothes showed off a nicely developing body. Ginny had not changed as much save perhaps to grow a little taller. Ron was the same maybe a little taller and still dressed in clothes that were slightly threadbare.

"No, we are not new members of the order. I didn't think introductions would be necessary. After all, we have known each other for almost 4 years now." Harry said with a smile.

They just stared at Harry, totally confused by his statement. Seraph finally got impatient and said "For God's sake Harry, just tell them already! I want to take a shower and they are blocking the way."

"Harry? Is that you?" Hermione gasped as she finally noticed his scar.

Harry continued to smile and said "Of course it is who else has a lightning bolt shaped scar? Look can we take this upstairs? I am tired and believe me Seraph really needs a shower."

"Ok, but we expect a full explanation." Hermione said grudgingly. Ginny was just eyeing Harry like he was some particularly tasty dessert to eat. He could have sworn she actually licked her lips.

Together, they all filed upstairs and into the library. "Where are your parents Ron?"

"Huh, what?" He said trying to wrap his brain around this new Harry.

"Your parents…Are they here yet?" Harry asked slowly.

"Mum is, dad is still at work. Bloody Hell Harry, what happened to you? Why didn't you write to us? Do you know how worried we were?" Ron said, his voice growing louder as he asked more questions and his face getting redder.

"I will give you the short version. I am sure I will be repeating it tonight at the Order of the Phoenix meeting." He proceeded to give them a condensed version of the last 22 years of his life leaving out most of the war, his meeting with his parents, and the revelations about Dumbledore.

Ginny reacted first by jumping up from her seat and giving him the tightest hug possible. She noticed how much more muscular he was now. "How old are you now?" She asked a little shyly and blushed bright red as she realized she probably had no chance with him anymore.

"I am 37 years old. Believe me I know this is strange for you. Think of how I feel, the last time I saw you I was 14 and now it has been 22 years for me and only 2 months for you."

Ron asked "Wicked! You're like older than Bill. Oh, I can't wait to see Malfoy's face when he gets a look at you."

Looking at Ron like he had gone insane, Harry snorted "Ron, I think I am little old to be a fifth year at Hogwarts. No I won't be going back, at least as a student."

Ron sank into his chair as he realized his best friend was now 37 and would not be going to school with him "Yeah, I know. It's not going to be the same without you there."

"Just because I won't be a student, doesn't mean I can't drop by. Besides, I can prank the hell out of Malfoy now and not get into trouble.

At the same time that Hermione tired to scold him, Ron's face lit up with an evil grin at all the fun they could have tormenting Malfoy. "What are you going to do? Are you going to get a job?"

"Seraph, Hunter and I are going to help defeat Voldemort." Harry didn't want to tell them he was going to leave just yet. "I am going to take a quick shower and let you 5 gossip about me amongst yourselves."

Hermione was looking at him shrewdly and a little sadly. "You don't plan on staying here in this time do you?"

"What are you talking about Hermione, of course he wants to stay here, right Harry?" Ron said immediately.

Ginny just looked sad because she had come to the same conclusion. In truth, she couldn't blame him, in the future he had family and he didn't have to deal with being the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry sat down again for a minute and said in a soft voice "I didn't want to tell you just yet, but Hermione is right. Hunter is going to be researching the portal stones to find their locations. Once we are done with Voldemort, we will be going back to our time."

"But this is your time, you were born here. What about us? Don't we count for anything?" Ron said in a surprising calm voice, but the hurt was plain to hear.

"Ron, you were my first friend, of course you count for something. If you didn't, we wouldn't bother waiting to go back. Look at this from my perspective. I have lived in that time longer than I ever did here. I have parents that love me and the freedom to live my life without the weight of the wizrding world on my shoulders. You know that even when Voldemort is defeated, they will still look to me to be their savior whenever there is a problem.

Lastly, something I didn't tell you before but we have been fighting a war against someone that makes Voldemort look like a cuddly kitten. It has been raging for 4 years now and Hunter, Seraph and I are needed there."

Ever curious, Hermione asked "Who could be worse than Voldemort?"

With a deadly look on his face Harry answered "This is going to sound melodramatic, but take everything you know from modern day religion about hell and you will know that we are literally waging war against the devil or at least the closest thing to him that exists.

I was there when he was allowed access to our world. No one knew what it was at the time, but when the accident happened and he first touched our world there was this overwhelming sense of anger and hatred. I thought I was going to drown in it.

Before the accident, there hadn't been a war or military conflict for over 1,000 years. In the span of 5 years or so, we saw the levels of violence increase dramatically and an entire city of close to 500,000 people was wiped out. The forces of the shadow left no survivors." He finished in a quiet voice and with downcast eyes.

Harry stood once again and left them to their thoughts of their friend and how he had changed. Sadly, they also thought on how they didn't really know him anymore.

**_Order of the Phoenix meeting 7:30pm_**

After Albus arrived, everyone began congregating in the dinning room. There were perhaps twenty people or so. Albus took his seat at the head of the table and was about to call the meeting to order when Sirius interrupted him. "Dumbledore, there are still three people that are missing."

"All of the active members are currently here. Who are you referring to?" Albus asked.

At that moment, the doors opened and Harry, Seraph and Hunter walked into the room.

"Mutt, are you an idiot? You let three strangers into this house and this meeting?" Snape said with an angry sneer.

"If you learned to look before you spout your normal crap you would realize that there are only two strangers. The third is someone known to all of you in this room." Sirius said with equal malice.

Albus stepped in and said "Severus please give Sirius a chance to explain himself."

Everyone continued to look at the three men with no comprehension of who they were. Remus trying to cut the argument off said "Are you people blind, do you not see a certain scar?"

Finally, his eyes twinkling wildly Albus said "Harry? Harry Potter is that you?"

Harry smiled thinly "I am glad someone is observant. Yes, it is me." Chaos erupted in the room. Everyone was trying to get in a word and arguing that he couldn't possibly be Harry Potter.

Snape roared in disgust "You can't possibly believe that this is Harry Potter. I have no doubt that the arrogant brat talked this man into committing this insane farce!" He even tried to see into Harry's mind.

The tell-tale tingle of Snape's attempt to read his mind caused Harry to reinforce is Occlumency shields. Eyes narrowed and hands clenched into fists, Harry growled out "I suggest you don't try and force yourself into my mind again Snivellus or I will be forced to respond."

Practically crowing Snape responded "Potter would never be able to guard his mind. He isn't talented enough to master Occlumency. Though clearly your head is as big as his if you think you can take me."

Harry decided to cut things short by saying "Can I suggest we use Veritaserum and get this out of the way. I have many things to discuss tonight and this is the least of my concerns."

Albus was relieved that Harry had apparently returned. However, if this was truly Harry, then his plans would require some major adjustments. He would no longer have an impressionable teenager under his thumb. On the positive side of things though, he came back from wherever he was so clearly he did not intend to give up the fight against Voldemort. "I agree. Severus can you administer the Veritaserum."

After going through a similar set of questions that he had answered with Amelia, the Order was convinced that this was indeed Harry Potter. "Harry, now that everyone is convinced of your identity, perhaps you could tell us what has happened to you." Albus asked reasonably. He was readjusting his plans to account for a fully grown wizard but strangely he didn't feel any magical aura coming from Harry or his friends.

"I will give you the abridged version." Harry said and proceeded to give them the highlights of the last 22 years. Because he did not want any hints of his power to be leaked, he left out all mentions of the One Power and his loss of magic.

"Now, I would like to know what has been done to fight Voldemort while I was gone." Harry demanded in an authoritative tone people were unused to hearing from anyone save Dumbledore.

"This is outrageous. Just because you have returned and somehow managed to add a few years does not mean you are entitled to any information from the Order Potter!" Snape growled.

Harry responded quietly "Snape, I would think by now you would have gotten over your childish grudge against my father. The headmaster may give you leeway to be nasty, but I will not. You will keep a civil tongue or I will see to it that you don't use it at all for the rest of the night." Everyone could hear the clear threat in Harry's voice and tensed waiting for the inevitable confrontation.

"You are an arrogant, self-important arse just like your dead father. It's unfortunate Voldemort didn't finish the job when you were…" Snape was saying snidely, clearly disregarding Harry's threat.

Harry didn't let him finish, he channeled air and placed a gag around his mouth preventing his from talking and more bindings around his arms and legs securing him to the chair and preventing him from moving. "Snivellus, don't make me teach you another lesson. You won't like it. As I was saying, what has been done to combat Voldemort?"

Albus was mystified. Somehow Harry had incapacitated Severus without a wand or any visible magic. Trying his grandfatherly façade once again he said "Harry, please release him. We are all on the same side here."

"No, I will not. He was warned and now he is being punished. I ask again, what has been done to deal with Voldemort?" Not that the other Order members would admit it, but they were all cheering for Harry. Most had been repeatedly insulted by Snape and the headmaster never did a thing about it.

Albus cast _Finite Incantatum_ at Severus with no effect. He was floored. He should have been able to overpower Harry's spells with ease. This was not a welcome development. With an apologetic glance towards Severus, Albus answered "We have reconvened the Order of the Phoenix as you see around you."

Severus was clearly struggling against his bonds and glaring at Harry the entire time. There was no way that he would get free until Harry released him though.

"And?" Harry prompted.

"There have been no attacks by the Death Eaters so our primary job had been to search for you." Albus responded, not sure what Harry was getting at.

"What about the public or the Ministry, what do they know of Voldemort's return?" Harry asked.

"The Ministry is denying his return and the public has turned a blind eye. It is not ideal, but there is nothing we can do." Albus said with some trepidation. He didn't know how this new Harry would react to the news. He missed the old Harry that would get predictably upset and was easy to manipulate into position. The new Harry was calm and collected. He appeared to have a much more mature outlook. This would not do.

"So, basically you have done nothing and given Voldemort two months to regain his strength and followers. Is that about it?" He asked in disgust.

Molly, as expected, jumped to Dumbledore's defense "Harry, it is not for you to question the headmaster's decisions. He is a great leader and we would be lost without him." Dumbledore looked over at Molly smiling, his eyes twinkling like mad thinking the rebuke would put Harry in his place.

This was exactly the opening Harry was looking for. He could kiss Molly for making such an asinine statement. "Is that so? Who defeated Voldemort the first time?" He paused, waiting for answer. When he didn't get one he asked again "Moody, who defeated Voldemort the first time?"

Moody grudgingly answered "You did. That doesn't mean you will be the one to defeat him this time."

"Quite right but I have another question, if it wasn't for me back in 1981, who would have won the war?" Albus was getting alarmed at this line of questioning, he could see where Harry was going and he was not happy with it.

Before Albus could say anything, Moody replied "We would have lost. It was just a matter of time."

"And who was leading you then?" Harry persisted.

Albus stood up, letting his magic flare a bit causing the awe that he was so used to seeing in many of the Order members. "Harry, I insist you cease these pointless questions. The past can not be changed and we must look to the future. We don't have time for your distractions."

Moody again answered despite Albus' words "Albus was in charge." Moody could see where Potter was going and while he disagreed with many of Albus' decisions, he hadn't found anyone better to lead. Perhaps that had changed now.

Many of the Order members were grumbling about Harry's line of questioning.

"Harry…" Albus started again trying to regain control but was cut off by Harry "Albus, please I am not done with my questions yet. Albus did you believe that Voldemort was truly defeated on that night back in 1981?"

"No, I did not. I suspected he may have been too powerful to simply be killed." Albus replied feeling he was on safe ground here.

"Would it surprise anyone here that there is a prophecy pertaining to myself and Voldemort?" Albus got a panicked look on his face at this question. How could Harry possibly know of the prophecy, he had kept it secret for 14 years now. Not bothering to wait for an answer he continued "There is a prophecy that was told to Dumbledore many years ago before that fateful night. It essentially says that either I kill Voldemort or he kills me."

"Harry how did you find out about the prophecy I told no one but your parents?" Albus demanded not comfortable with the direction of this discussion. He needed to do something to limit the damage and said "Harry perhaps it would be best if we discussed this in private. You are safer if the prophecy is only known to a few."

Smiling "Albus, these people have pledged to fight Voldemort and you don't trust them? Or maybe you are afraid they will ask the intelligent question here, if you have expected Voldemort to come back for 14 years, which he has now done, why have you done absolutely nothing to prepare the wizarding world or myself for his return?"

Hestia Jones and Nymphadora Tonks were demanding explanations from Dumbledore while others like Daedelus Diggle and Arabella Figg were denouncing Harry for questioning Dumbledore's decisions.

"Moody as a former auror, what is the penalty for someone who deliberately violates a will?" Harry was focused solely on Dumbledore at this point. Most of the room went quiet at this question, somewhat confused by the change in topic. Dumbledore however knew exactly where Harry was going and his eyes lost their twinkle but he tried to divert the conversation.

"Harry, cease this distraction. We have important matters to discuss." He said in the tone a grandfather would use to chastise a young child.

Moody answered anyway "They could get up to 5 years in Azkaban." At this point, Sirius passed around copies of the Potter's will and the documentation from the goblins outlining their agreement with Dumbledore.

Once everyone had a copy, Harry began his attack "As you can clearly see, I was never to go and live with my aunt and uncle. Arrangement had already been made that were ignored by Dumbledore. He also order the will sealed so that I did not receive a copy on my 11th birthday as outlined. Further you can see that he actively conspired with the goblins to hide his duplicity and my heritage. Lastly, he ignored the fact that Sirius Black was not my parents' secret keeper and helped to send him to Azkaban without a trial."

Albus knew he had to head this off. People were losing faith in his leadership rapidly. If he didn't do something the Order would fall apart. "Harry, everything I did was for your own good." Albus tried. Unfortunately for him, this was the wrong thing to say as he was attacked verbally from all sides.

"That's bullshit old man and you know it. I find it very hard to believe that you would leave the one person who can defeat Voldemort unobserved for 10 years. You knew how the Dursleys treated me. How was it in my best interests to live in a cupboard for 10 years?"

"I placed blood wards on your home that kept you safe so that I didn't need to check up on you." Albus said as if that ended the argument. For some people it did, they still had absolute faith in Albus.

"So, that gives you the right to arbitrarily break the law by sending me to live with them and to condemn an innocent man to Azkaban?"

"It is for the greater good." Albus said reasonably.

"Unfortunately, that is not for you to decide is it? You are not the elected leader of the government and you are not empowered to disregard laws whenever you choose!" Harry all but yelled.

Some fool that Harry did not recognize had the nerve to say "He is Albus Dumbledore, who are you to question his decisions?"

Harry retorted finally losing his cool "He is the fucking headmaster of a school! Yes he is powerful, but that does not make him omniscient. He has made countless god damned mistakes in the handling of the first war and the 14 years in between. How long will you continue to follow him blindly? In that you are no better than the Death Eaters!"

Albus was outraged that Harry would make such statements "Harry you will have to leave now. All you are doing is disrupting this meeting." Perhaps if he got Harry out of the room, he may be able to convince people to follow him again.

Harry ignored him and pulled out his next salvo and waited for everyone to quiet down. "People, I truly appreciate your commitment to fighting Voldemort but you have been ineffective at best. This is not entirely your own fault, the majority of the blame lies with Dumbledore. Voldemort and his Death Eaters are not petty criminals that you stun and throw into jail. This is not a police action. They are enemy combatants seeking to actively overthrow the government and you are soldiers in the fight. This is a war people and the sooner you realize that the better.

General George Patton once said 'No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.' The Death Eaters know this, but you have hidden from this basic fact. This is a war, if you are not willing to kill those whose goal is to destroy your way of life, than you might as well give up now because you are never going to win."

Most of the aurors in the room were nodding their heads in agreement. Albus expressed the doubts of the others "I fear that Voldemort is influencing you through you scar Harry. If I am correct, it links your minds together and we stand in danger of losing you to the dark. If we start killing the Death Eaters we are no better than they are." Albus thought to win back support with that comment but as with many things, he only strengthened the growing opposition from many in the room.

"My link to Voldemort was severed the instant I traveled to the future. And Albus, did you not kill the dark lord Grindewald? If so apparently killing is ok as long as you are the one doing it?"

"That was for the greater good." Albus said impatiently. "You are talking about killing more than just Voldemort. I fear if you go down this path, you and any who follow would go dark." Albus finished hoping to make people fear Harry and the course he was suggesting so they would once again look to him for guidance.

Shaking his head at Albus' statement Harry said in a reasonable tone "It is not going over to the dark to fight a war. Were the muggles fighting in World War II evil for fighting against the Germans? The only difference between Voldemort and Hitler is the scale of the conflict. Where Hitler had the SS, Voldemort has the Death Eaters."

Moody answered as well with disgust "Potter is right. It is does not makes us the same at all. Death Eaters kill for the sheer pleasure in killing. We would be killing to protect people and rid the country of a threat to our sovereignty."

At this point, perhaps 3/4s of the Order was at least considering what Harry and Moody were saying if not actively supporting it. Harry said "Can any of you look a survivor in the eye and honestly say that you did everything you could to protect their family? I have spent the last four years fighting a war much larger than this one and I have seen atrocities on a much larger scale. By not taking a stand you make it easier for them to grow in strength while you hide you head in the sand waiting for a savior.

What would you have done if I had not come back? I hadn't planned on it. Would you have rolled over and surrendered to Voldemort because I was not here to fulfill a prophecy? If the wizarding world had stood up to Voldemort in the beginning, we would not be here now. Yes he was powerful and yes people would have died, but in the end it would have been far fewer and the fate of the world would not have been thrust onto the shoulders of a 1 year old."

"Harry, you have raised many valid points that we will discuss, but I must ask you to leave now as you are not a member of the Order." Albus said hoping to win support once Harry was out of the room.

"That won't be necessary because you will not be here much longer. Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks I have here an arrest warrant for Albus Dumbledore signed by Madame Bones. He is to be taken into custody immediately."

The uproar from those in the room was enough to wake the dead. "Quiet!" Harry shouted. "Why are you shocked by this? Is Dumbledore above the law, because you have evidence sitting in front of you showing that he has broken many of them? We don't enforce laws only when it is convenient!"

Arabella answered "No he shouldn't be above the law, but without him who will lead the fight against Voldemort?"

"I will or someone else can stand up. I don't ask you to follow me and honestly if you are not willing to kill I don't want fighting with me. We may be able to find a use for you elsewhere, but you will not be fighting because you would only be a liability."

"Aurors, please take Dumbledore to the Ministry holding cells. There will be another meeting here tonight at 9pm for anyone interested in actually fighting Voldemort and the Death Eaters."

"Harry, you don't need to do this. I am the only one Voldemort fears, what will happen if I am in Azkaban?"

"Maybe the wizarding world will stand up for themselves for a change in stead of looking for someone to save their collective asses! You should have been in jail years ago but don't worry at least you will get a trial unlike someone else in this room."

Harry turned towards Remus and asked "Remus is there any way to replay memories for people to view? I would like to show those that show up later a few select events to help calm fears."

"Yes you could use a pensieve but we don't have one here." Remus replied.

"Is that something that Amelia would have available?" He asked. After seeing Remus nod, he said "Please go with Seraph to pick Amelia up at 8:50 and see if you could bring one with her."

Before Harry could sit down and talk to Sirius, Molly and Arthur Weasley walked over with identical looks of concern and outrage. Molly as usual was the vocal one of the pair and practically shouted "Harry, how could you treat the headmaster in such a way? He was only looking out for your best interests I am sure. Now I want you to have these ridiculous charges dropped."

"Molly, Arthur you both have been like family to me since the day your opened your home to a lonely orphan. Right now, you have no say in this matter. Dumbledore broke multiple laws that hurt Sirius and myself. Why should he not be punished for that?"

Sirius added in a growl "Are you saying that it was ok for me to be sent to Azkaban without a trial because Dumbledore did it?"

Arthur losing some of his confidence said "Well no, but without Dumbledore what will happen with Voldemort?"

"Arthur what makes Dumbledore so qualified to lead this Order? As far as I know, he other than headmaster, his only significant accomplishment was the defeat of Grindelwald in a duel. Those are not the qualifications I would look for in someone to lead a war effort.

Look, you don't have to agree with my actions tonight, but I intend to see him prosecuted for his crimes. If you are interested in actually doing something to stop Voldemort, stay around for the next meeting."

Molly struggled with herself before spitting out "What happened to the Harry we knew?"

"I am 37 years old not 14. The Harry you knew grew up."

After having a similar conversation with a few Order members he was not familiar with, Harry went off to speak with the kids. Before he could leave the room, Seraph said "Harry, you might want to release Snape."

"Oh year, no wonder it was so peaceful around here." He replied while he untied the flows securing Severus. "Snivellus unless you are willing to swear a Wizard's oath to keep our secrets, I don't expect we will have a need for your talents, meager though they may be."

"I would never swear an oath to you Potter. With you leading the Light, there is no chance that the Dark Lord will fail, but at least you will get to see you mudblood mother and that prick of a father."

Harry didn't say anything, everyone in the room was quiet. Then Harry hauled off and slammed his fist into Snape's jaw breaking it and knocking him to the floor. While he rubbed his hand, Harry asked "Seraph can see Snivellus out, his services are no longer required."

With that, Harry stalked out of the room and went to search for Ron, Ginny and Hermione. He finally found them in the library. "Here you are. I want you to sit it on the next meeting. It starts in about 30 minutes."

An eager expression blossoming across his face Ron said "Really but Dumbledore always said we were too young. Why are we being allowed now?"

"For one thing, Dumbledore is currently under arrest and will most likely be sentenced to many years in Azkaban." It took Harry, almost 5 minutes just to get them to calm down so that he could explain. Predictably, Hermione was the hardest to convince but once he gave them the highlights of the meeting and handed over a copy of his parents will and Dumbledore's agreement with the goblins they were more subdued as they thought over his words.

Hermione asked "Are you sure it is a wise move to get Dumbledore sent to Azkaban?"

"Shakespeare said it best. 'If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you wrong us…shall we not revenge? Dumbledore has violated a great number of laws, while this is not motivated by revenge, I would be lying to say I did not get any satisfaction from it.

To answer your question, in the long run it really is the best option. He would make a powerful ally if he had the right mindset but I think he has been in control too long and would end up being a disruptive influence.

Just so you know. I won't allow you to fight." Harry finished as looked each one in the eye.

Ron and Ginny were upset, the twins less so while Hermione see to expect that. Ginny responded for the group "So when you were 14 we were old enough to help but now we're too young."

"Yes, because anyone who fights with me is not going to pull any punches. We are soldiers and soldiers kill. I don't want you to have to kill anyone at 15. Just because you are not on the front lines does not mean that can't contribute to Voldemort's defeat.

"How can you kill them? Doesn't that make you the same as the Death Eaters or Voldemort?" Ginny asked.

"No, we are defending people. As I said this is a war and we are all soldiers. Soldiers kill, they don't stun. This is not a police action."

Hermione asked "So if we won't be fighting with you, how can we help?"

"You will probably be excited to hear this, but Hunter is going to need a lot of help researching different weapons and defenses as well as a way for the three of us to return home." Harry laughed at the eager expression on Hermione's face as she heard how she could help. He only laughed harder when he saw the sour expression on Ron's and Ginny's faces. "Don't worry, we are also going to need people to get trained in healing magic to help with the wounded and everyone will be expected to be a proficient fighter in case they are ever attacked. So you will not become a bookworm like our dear Hermione."

Ron and Ginny brightened up at hearing that and Hermione exclaimed "Hey, I'm not that bad."

Calming down Harry finished "Look it is just about 9pm, you will have a better idea of what's going on after the meeting." He then led them to the dinning room for the meeting.

**_2nd Order of the Phoenix Meeting 9:00pm_**

Harry was pleasantly surprised at the number of people there. Tonks, Shacklebolt, Jones and Moody were there. In addition, he saw Sirius, Remus, Poppy, Molly, Arthur, Bill, and Charlie. Amelia was there and 3 other Order members that Harry had not been introduced to. He could see Molly gather steam when she who was standing with him and he said "Molly, I asked them to come to this meeting. They have a right to hear the full story. While I already told them I would not allow them to fight, that doesn't mean that they can't contribute in other ways."

Molly was about to argue until Arthur put his hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. She reluctantly acquiesced and sat down again.

"Amelia were you able to bring a Pensieve?"

"Yes I was. It is one that we use in trials so it will project the memories like a muggle movie. Do you know the spell to copy your memories to the Pensieve?" She asked. Though you couldn't tell by looking at her, she was quite excited to get more details of his story.

"Before I proceed, I need everyone to take an oath that nothing seen or discussed here will leave this room. You will understand why after you have seen my memories."

Everyone looked a little surprised at the need for an oath, but readily agreed. "Now, I need you to hold off on any questions until after you have viewed the memories. Amelia, can you use cast the spell to copy the memories from me?"

Again she answered in the affirmative. "Concentrate on the memories you would like in the Pensieve." Seeing he was ready she cast the spell removing a series of silvery threads from his head and depositing them into the Pensieve.

"You may be wondering why I did not cast the spell. The reason is that my friends Seraph, Hunter and I are technically muggles. We have no magical core and can't use wands or anything else requiring innate magic." Harry raised his hand to stop the questions and asked Amelia to play the memories that had been deposited.

She activated the Pensieve and a large image was displayed hovering over the dining room table. It was showed the day that Harry had participated in testing Callandor. Once the memory was done, everyone was in awe at the level of power displayed. It was far more than could be done by a wizard or a witch even one as powerful as Voldemort or Dumbledore.

"What you just say was an example of Saidin." Harry proceeded to explain the One Power and its uses and functions. "So you can see that while I no longer have magic, I am far from powerless. In fact, the other memory I am going to show you is the effectiveness of Saidin versus magic."

He and Amelia repeated the process. Everyone got a laugh at the mock battle with Moony before they settled down to listen to Harry. Before they moved on to the next topic, Harry, Hunter, and Seraph spent a significant amount of time answering questions about Aes Sedai and the One Power.

Hermione had the final question "Harry, is it possible for any of us to learn to use the One Power?"

Hunter answered in place of Harry "It is unlikely. According to our history, the ability to channel is a fairly recent within the last 2,000 years or so. We were never able to figure our how far into the future Harry traveled. Since our history has sketchy records at best of this time, it is not probable that any of you can. Harry is most likely able to channel because of a genetic mutation, possibly caused by surviving the killing curse as a baby. I am willing to test those that are interested but I can only test the men.

As you heard, the One Power, despite its name, is made of up of two different types of power Saidin for men and Saidar for women. The manner in which they are accessed and channeled is entirely different for men and women. It would be impossible for me to test or teach women just as it would be impossible for a woman to test or teach a man."

Hermione did not seem very happy with that answer but she let it go for a later day.

Moody spoke up "Clearly you can defend yourself despite the loss of your magic. As you pointed out with Dumbledore, power does not qualify you to lead. Why should we follow you?"

"I told you that my friends and I have been fighting a war for the last four years. I am not the strategist. My strength lies in tactics and combat leadership. Amelia if you please." They added yet more of Harry's memories to the Pensieve, this time the group watched as Harry led his detachment in an assault on the Forsaken during the battle of Comelle and a separate memory of Harry leading his troops during the defense of Paaran Disen.

"One thing you need to be aware of is that in our time 14 of the most powerful Aes Sedai betrayed the light and swore allegiance to the Dark One. They became known as the Forsaken. The battle that I was fighting that brought the three of us back to the 20th century was against the Forsaken Acheron a former friend of mine. He is back in this time now too. We will need to be on the lookout for him. I am not sure if he will ally himself with Voldemort but on his own he will not have a powerbase to work from so he may."

Seraph stepped forward when Harry had finished and asked for some of his memories to be placed in the Pensieve. Once done, the group watched planning sessions of assaults and city defenses led by Seraph. When the memories had finished playing out, the Order members looked to Hunter. Hunter just laughed and said "Sorry, I don't have any memories for you to watch unless you interested in watching me research or provide intelligence reports. I have always played more of a support role."

"Does that explain my rationale for wanting to take charge of this group Moody or do you have other concerns?" Harry asked.

"No, it is nice to see someone with actual combat experience step up." Moody said with a touch of approval in his voice.

"Unless anyone else has objections, Seraph will take the floor." Harry sat down and let Seraph take over to start talking about goals and team structure.

Seraph stood up and began to speak "Based on our discussions with Amelia, Sirius and Remus on the status of the war against Voldemort and the response from the Ministry we have identified three top objectives. The first objective was started this evening and that is the removal of Dumbledore.

The man has by all accounts been completely ineffective in dealing with the threat of Voldemort either now or in the first so called war. His arrest was just the first step. The trial will further undermine any influence he has on the public and Ministry. The third step will be in the press to make sure that everyone knows the extent of his manipulations. Amelia, do you have any updates on his hearing?"

"Yes, it is scheduled for Thursday, August 31st at 10am. The trial for Sirius Black should be completed by then. If he is found guilty, it would be further evidence against Dumbledore." This caused a startled gasp from many of the Order because they did not know that Sirius was finally getting a trial and the chance to prove himself.

Tonks asked "How do you know that Dumbledore will go to Azkaban? Given his reputation he could get off."

"While Azkaban is the preferable outcome, the trial and attacks in the press should be more than enough to discredit him and remove him from the playing field.

The second objective is related. We need to clean house at the Ministry. They are ignoring Voldemort and allowing him time to gain strength and numbers. We need a new Minister, someone who is willing to deal with Voldemort head on and is not going to release his followers to line his pockets. Who here is in the best position to evaluate potential Minister's and identify those within Ministry that are either agents for Voldemort or are willing to take bribes?"

Arthur and Victor Harris, an Unspeakable, volunteered to begin looking into replacements for Fudge and identifying those Ministry employees that were already compromised.

"If Sirius is found innocent, we will be able to use that against Fudge in the press and in court. We will also need a list of all the Death Eaters that have been arrested since the end of the first war. We can use our leverage with the Goblins to determine if Fudge was complicit in the release."

Amelia spoke up "I can provide a list of the Death Eaters."

"Amelia, we will also need to work with you to get recognition for this group. The people here are putting their lives and families on the line, they should be free from persecution for anything done to a Death Eater. It will also make it easier to coordinate activities with the Aurors."

"That will take some effort, but given time I should be able to grant you the same authority as an Auror."

"The last objective is Voldemort. There will be multiple teams involved with the effort to defeat him. There will be a team devoted to researching different weapons and defenses that can be used against him and his Death Eaters. Two areas that have been identified already are muggle long range weapons such as rifles and determining what type of armor either muggle or magical will provide the most protection .

The second team will be led by Harry. It will consist of all the frontline fighters. You will work with him to learn and perfect group tactics to take advantage of the various strengths. As the research team identifies the optimal muggle weaponry, there will be new tactics that are taught to incorporate the weapons and take full advantage of them.

The third team will be led by myself. Everyone will be expected to participate in at least 3 training sessions a week. I will teach hand-to-hand combat. We expect the Aurors to take part in these sessions to train the other members in magic. Even if you are not one of the front-line fighters you all need to be able to defend yourselves."

Harry stood up at this point saying "It is getting late. I think we should meet again next Wednesday after Sirius' trial. That gives you all time to decide if you still want to be part of this group and whether you want to be on the research team, frontline team, or the training team."

Some of the members had already decided that they would stay and fight. Sirius, Remus, Moody, Tonks, Jones, Shacklebolt, Harris, Bill and Charlie all walked over to Harry to speak with him. Each of them wanted to be part of the frontline team that would be fighting against the Death Eaters. Harry reiterated again that if they weren't prepared to kill, then they should be on one of the other teams. All of them agreed that it was a war they were fighting.

Seraph was approached by Amelia and Poppy. Amelia suggested that working together they could incorporate Auror training methods in addition to the lessons that Seraph would provide. After the Order had received an official recognition from the Ministry, Amelia would see to it that instructors from the Auror Training Academy were provided. Poppy offered to host special training courses to teach combat healing and provide her services in general for those injured both in training and actual fighting.

Hunter was talking to most of the kids. Research was the best area for them to help out. Hermione was particularly excited to work with him and learn more about what Harry had been through.

Before he went to bed that night, Harry sent off a letter with Hedwig to Rita Skeeter. It was time to get the ball rolling against Dumbledore and Fudge and the press was going to plat a key role.

_Rita_

_If you are interested in an exclusive interview with me, show up at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow at 11am. Ask Tom for me and you will get the story of your dreams. If you don't already have an idea on what it is about, look for an announcement from the DMLE regarding a hearing scheduled for next week._

_Harry Potter_

A short while later, Hedwig dropped off a letter for one Rita Skeeter at the Daily Prophet. She of course recognize Hedwig from her time at Hogwarts this last year but was rather surprised to receive a letter from Harry Potter considering the stories she had written about him. After casting a spell on the letter to make sure that there were no surprises, she opened and read it. Her eyes widened at the implications of what a story like this could do for her career. She was aware of the upcoming hearing for Sirius Black which promised to be highly embarrassing to the Ministry. There was no doubt in her mind, she would definitely be at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow to see what Mr. Potter had to say.

**August 24, 1995**

_**The Leaky Cauldron**_

At precisely 11am the next day, Rita Skeeter walked into the Leaky Cauldron. Looking around the dimly lit common room, she saw Tom standing behind the bar serving drinks to the few patrons that were present. "Tom, I am supposed meet Harry Potter. He said he had a private room."

Tom eyeballed her slowly, taking in her ridiculous glasses, the eager anticipation glinting in her eyes and the sneer that seemed to be a permanent part of her face. Finally, he responded in a surly voice that did nothing to mask his contempt for her "Aye, room 305, top of the stairs on the 3rd floor." Before she could thank him, he had turned away to help someone else.

She climbed the flights of stairs and found room 305. Rita knocked on the door sharply. A moment later, Harry opened the door and let Rita into the Room. "I am glad you decided to take me up on my offer."

"Who are you? I was supposed to meet Harry Potter here." Clearly, the person in front of her was not Harry Potter. He appeared to be 25 years, quite a bit taller, better built, and ruggedly handsome.

With a laugh, Harry said "Rita, I am hurt you don't recognize me. The scar is usually a dead give away."

Rita let her eyes rove slowly over Harry's body, taking the time to appreciate his muscular build and well fitting clothes. Purring she said "Anyone can fake a scar, how do I know it is really you?"

Harry, suppressing the need to run and take a shower, repeated many of the events that happened between himself and Rita during his fourth year.

"Well Harry, I can't wait to hear what happened to you; however, I have to say you really grew up well." She said in what passed for a seductive voice from Rita and ran her fingers lightly over his arm.

"Hmmm, yes, thanks. We should be going. I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time."

"Oh, I cleared my schedule. We have all the time in the world for this interview and … anything else that comes to mind. Besides, if what you said in your letter is true, I could be on the inside of the downfall of an administration."

"Now if you will follow me. It will be easier to discuss everything where there is no danger of being overheard." Harry said as he channeled and opened a portal to Grimmauld Place.

Rita's jaw dropped as she watched the portal open. She had never heard of any magic like this. She was getting more excited by the minute. After she hooked her arm through his, the two stepped through the portal.

Unfortunately for Harry, Sirius was there waiting for them and saw Rita caressing his arm and clearly admiring the finer points of Harry's body.

Rita saw Sirius sitting in a chair by the table. "Sirius Black, well, well, well. This is getting better and better. I assume that you are going to be telling me your story."

His eyes glittering with suppressed laughter because Harry had not been able to get free from Rita's arm yet. "Yes I am. Harry had nothing but good things to say about your ummm talents."

"Really, Harry has certainly developed some impressive talents of his own. I wouldn't mind helping him to explore those talents some time." She said suggestively.

Harry choked a little at that point "Let's get started. Rita, there are a couple of ground rules for this interview. First, you will not embellish the truth. Second, we get to review the article before you print it. Last, we get the final say on the timing of the articles."

Rita knew she didn't really have a choice in the matter for the first two conditions, but she was confused by the third and said say so. Harry explained that over the next couple of weeks, they wanted her to release a series of articles detailing her interview with Sirius, the involvement of Dumbledore and the criminal actions of Fudge.

When she heard what her articles would be covering, a predatory smile spread across her face and her fingers started twitch a little at the excitement of bringing down two of the most powerful men in the wizarding world. She quickly gave her agreement and began the interview with Sirius, going over the events leading up that eventful Halloween in 1981 and his subsequent actions with Peter Pettigrew.

"I have more than enough material to spread this story over a couple of days. With the announcement of the hearing today, you will want the first story to appear on the 26th then a follow up on the 28th and the day of the trial. Breaking it up this way, keeps the story in front of the public and will make it more difficult for Dumbledore or Fudge to sweep it under the rug." Rita concluded as she put her notes and Quick Quotes quill away. "Harry if you would be so kind as to take me back to the Leaky Cauldron."

Harry turned away to open a portal, unwittingly giving Rita unrestricted access to his arse which she took full advantage of. After the portal had opened, she walked over to Harry and gave his arse a nice squeeze before cutting off his protests by giving him an extremely hard kiss sliding her tongue in between his lips and into his mouth. "I will owl you the first story later today for you approval." Then, licking her lips she said "Hmmm, yes we definitely need to further explore these changes from the last time I saw you." She stepped through the portal with a saucy smile on her face and Harry quickly shut it down before she could come back.

Harry turned around at the sound of something hitting the floor only to find Sirius on the ground curled up into a ball he was laughing so hard. Harry said shuddering "I don't know about you, but I need to take a shower. I feel violated."

Later, after taking a long, extremely hot shower, Harry burned his clothes. He didn't think he could ever wear them again after the 'Rita' incident. Finally after getting dressed, he made his way downstairs only to hear Sirius regaling the events of the day to Seraph, Hunter, and Remus. As Harry opened the door to the library, Sirius said "I kid you not. She was all over Harry like ugly on an iguana." His face flaming, Harry fled the room to more raucous laughter.

**August 30, 1995**

_**Ministry of Magic, Courtroom 10**_

Sirius was sitting nervously waiting for Harry to open a portal into Madame Bones' office. His shoulders were clearly tensed and he kept clenching and unclenching his fists. At 10:50, Harry opened the portal to find Amelia sitting behind her desk waiting patiently for them.

"Good morning Madame Bones, I trust everything is ready for the hearing?" Harry asked.

"Of course Mr. Potter, we will bring the accused to Courtroom 10 now so that the proceedings can begin." She answered in a formal manner as she rose gracefully from her chair. "Before we leave, my Aurors have completed that list of names you were looking for. I trust you will be able to make use of this."

Harry smiled as he folded the list of names and put it into his pocket. "I think I know what needs to be done. Would you like to help you escort this foul miscreant to his hearing?"

She watched as Sirius spluttered at the comment before answering with a slight smile  
"Of course, thank Merlin that you are here to protect my virtue from this dastardly convict."

Sirius laughed a little at hearing Amelia's comment. As she saw Sirius relax a little, she led them down to courtroom 10. "Remember, I am the judge in this case and therefore I am supposed to be impartial. If everything goes as planned, you will be free by the end of the day."

Sirius nodded and tried to look confident as they entered the courtroom. All of the chatter in the courtroom stopped as those in attendance recognized Sirius Black and Amelia Bones. They did not know who the third man walking with them was. Amelia walked to her position as Judge and promptly sat down, preparing to call the hearing to order. Sirius reluctantly sat down in the defendant's chair and let the chains wrap around his arms securing him down. Harry took a seat next to Sirius and prepared to help his god father defend himself.

Amelia called the courtroom to order and explained the proceedings to those involved.

"Minister Fudge, are you prepared to argue your case?"

"Of course I am, this murderer does not even deserve this opportunity. He will be given the Kiss this time. I will not waste the taxpayer's money by throwing him back into Azkaban." Fudge said in a belligerent tone.

Sirius tensed up at his words and would have said something had Harry not rested his hand on Sirius' shoulder and whispered something into his ear. With a visible effort, Sirius relaxed and caught a brief flash of disappointment on Fudge's face. Clearly he had hoped to get a rise out of Sirius and show the court how dangerous he was.

"Mr. Potter, are you prepared to argue for the defendant?" The crowd and reporters started whispering and chattering at Harry's name. Clearly they did not expect to see him grown up or defending the supposed betrayer of his parents.

"I am Madame Bones. Sirius Black was thrown into Azkaban 14 years ago without a trial. It is high time this Minister followed his own laws and give Sirius Black the opportunity to refute the charges."

Before Harry could sit down, Fudge had jumped up, face red with outrage, "You are not Harry Potter. I don't know what game you are playing at but Harry Potter is 15 years old and he would never defend the Sirius Black. It would violate the memory of his parents."

"Minister Fudge, it is neither here nor there whether you believe I am Harry Potter. However, I will be proving it to you when I testify in defense of Sirius Black." Harry replied calmly.

"Madame Bone, I ask that this imposter be removed from the court." Fudge persisted.

"According to Article 8, Section 134 of British Wizard Law, all defendants are entitled to representation before the court. It does not require that the representation be a registered solicitor. Therefore, nothing prevents me from serving as Sirius Black's representation. Therefore, as I am the counsel for the defendant, I can not be removed." Inwardly Harry was thanking Hunter profusely for drilling the law into his head this past week. He only hoped it was enough.

A stern expression on her face, Amelia stated "Mr. Potter is correct Minister Fudge and he will not be removed. Now present your case."

"Very well, if you won't remove him, I demand that he testify as to his identity under Veritaserum." Fudge ranted thinking that the impostor would surely back down making Black's conviction a sure thing.

Before Madame Bones could respond, Harry replied "I have no problem doing this, but I trust the questions will be kept pertinent to the confirmation of my identity and I would like Madame Bones to do the questioning." Amelia nodded her agreement while Fudge turned red at this because he would not get a chance to humiliate Potter or whoever this man was.

Harry approached the witness box and sat down. An Auror administered the Veritaserum and Amelia began her questioning. She ran through the same list of questions she had asked last week when he first came to her office. By the end, the reporters were snapping picture after picture of the new Harry Potter and many in the gallery were whispering to themselves about his story. Harry was returning to his seat after the Auror had administered the antidote when Fudge lost control of himself. He smiled as he saw reporters eagerly writing notes on his testimony. He had no doubts that tomorrow's news would include a story about him and his amazing journey to the future.

Fudge stood up again. His face almost purple as he blustered "This story is preposterous, you can expect us to believe it. He is just an attention seeking brat trying to stay in the limelight since everyone knows his ridiculous claims about You-Know-Who are false."

"Minister Fudge, you know that know one can lie while under the effects of Veritaserum. This has been well proven and documented. While I can't attest to his claims regarding You-Know-Who, based on the testimony you just heard, this is clearly Harry Potter. Now if there is nothing else, call your first witness."

Grumbling and with obvious resentment Fudge called his first witness to the stand, Auror Jameson who had been one of those to arrest Sirius back in 1981. Fudge proceeded to question the man obtaining the details of Sirius' detainment and statements alluding to his guilt. Fudge sat down with a smug look on his face as heard many in the gallery grumble and send accusing remarks towards Sirius.

Amelia nodded to Harry to proceed. "Auror Jameson, were you present at the time of Peter Pettigrew's supposed death?"

"No I wasn't but we heard first hand accounts of his attack on Pettigrew."

"I see and what exactly did those accounts say? Did anyone actually see Sirius fire a spell?"

"Well, no they didn't but they heard Pettigrew say Sirius betrayed James and Lily Potter."

Harry pressed on "I am sure. Did you check the wand of Sirius Black to see what spells had been cast recently?"

"No, but he was caught at the scene, surely it was him." Auror Jameson said, trying to shore up his testimony.

"What about his testimony, what did he say when you questioned him under Veritaserum?" Harry asked.

Clearly looking uncomfortable Jameson admitted that they had never questioned Sirius. He had simply been thrown into Azkaban. Harry concluded by saying "I certainly feel safer knowing that we have such a stalwart defender of our laws protecting us. Just to sum things up, you had no witnesses to the attack, you never checked the defendant's wand to determine if he cast the spell, and you never questioned him under Veritaserum or otherwise. Did I leave anything out?"

"No you didn't but I was just following orders." Jameson knew his career was over as he confirmed Harry's statement.

"Oh really, who gave you those orders to violate our laws?" Harry asked sounding truly curious but knowing full well they came from Cornelius Fudge. He spared a glance over to Fudge to see him sink in his chair a little in anticipation of the answer.

Jameson mumbled softly "It was Cornelius Fudge."

Amelia jumped in and asked him to repeat the name so that everyone could here. "Cornelius Fudge gave us the orders." Seeing that Harry was through with questions, Amelia let Jameson return to seat in the gallery. People were not so supportive of Fudge now. As with everything else, the wizarding world was fickle and was quickly turning away from Fudge towards Sirius.

When prompted, Fudge called another Auror to the stand. This Auror had a similar story, and under Harry's questioning confirmed that Sirius was never given a chance to defend himself and verifying that nothing had been done to prove that he had committed the crime in question.

Finally, Fudge called Sirius Black to the witness stand. Despite everything, he was convinced that Sirius was the murderer. "Given that the defendant is an escaped convict, I demand he be questioned under Veritaserum."

"He is not an escaped convict since he was never given a trial but the defendant has no objections to be questioned under Veritaserum." Harry couldn't believe that Fudge would do something so stupid.

The Veritaserum was administered to Sirius, after his eyes lost focus and glazed over, Fudge began the questions.

"What is your name?"

"Sirius Orion Black" Sirius answered in an emotionless voice.

"Why did you betray the Potters to you-know-who?" Fudge asked eagerly.

"I never betrayed them."

"You were their secret keeper were you not? How else could they have been located?"

"I wasn't their secret keeper. We switched at the last minute to Peter Pettigrew. We didn't think anyone would believe he was the secret keeper and they would go after me instead."

"If you didn't betray them, why did you claim it was your fault?" Fudge was hoping to get something on Sirius to save his career at this point.

"Because it was my idea to use Peter, if I hadn't convinced them to switch they would still be alive." Sirius said and a tear rolled down his cheek. The reporters were whispering excitedly, if Sirius Black were innocent that meant that Fudge sent an innocent man to Azkaban without a trial for 13 years. This would be the story of the century.

Fudge heard the whispers and knew he was running out of time to save his career. "Is that why you killed Peter Pettigrew, for revenge?" He could still get Sirius convicted for Pettigrew even if he didn't betray the Potters.

"I didn't kill Peter. I went after him, but he outsmarted me. After I had him trapped in the alley, he shouted out that I betrayed James and Lily and then shout out the spell killing all those muggles. Then he cut off his finger and changed into his rat form and ran into the sewer."

"What do you mean rat form?" Fudge asked confused. Harry meanwhile was grinning. Fudge was proving his case for him. At this rate, he would be able to leave his evidence a secret for use against Dumbledore and Fudge at their own hearings.

"Peter Pettigrew is an unregistered animagus. He can turn into a rat." Fudge visibly deflated on hearing Sirius' answer. He had no evidence linking him to Pettigrew's disappearance and now the man had testified under Veritaserum that he did not kill Pettigrew or betray the Potters.

Sirius returned to his seat after an Auror administered the antidote.

Harry stood and said "Madame Bones, I request that all charges be dropped against Sirius Black. By their own testimony, the Aurors in charge on his case have admitted that he was never questioned and his wand was never checked for spells. Now under Veritaserum, Sirius Black has testified that he never killed Peter Pettigrew or betrayed the Potters, my parents."

"Minister Fudge, I am inclined to grant this request unless you have some objection." Amelia asked.

Fudge was too busy thinking of ways to save his career and quickly nodded his assent.

"Sirius Black, I hereby drop all charges against you. You are free to go with the apologies of this court." She finished formally.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity to embarrass Fudge further in the eyes of the public, Harry stood and said "Madame Bone, I think it would be appropriate for Minister Fudge to publicly apologize to Sirius Black for this gross miscarriage of justice. Additionally, Sirius Black should receive reparations for the manner in which his life has been destroyed."

"I agree. Minister you will apologize to Sirius Black in this courtroom and the Ministry shall pay his reparations in the sum of 500,000 galleons for every year he was unjustly imprisoned." Amelia ordered and closed the court session.

To the press' delight, Minister Fudge publicly apologized to Sirius Black in the middle of the courtroom. Sirius was practically blinded by the near constant flash of cameras but he was beaming. After 14 years, he was a free man. Everyone was buzzing with the news that Sirius Black was innocent and more than a few women were eyeing both him and Harry with an appreciative eye.

Harry wanted to make an impressive exit so he opened a portal in the middle of the courtroom. Grinning, he thought 'The reckoning has begun. Soon Dumbledore, Fudge, and Voldemort will pay for what they cost my family and the wizarding world'. Together he and Sirius stepped through to Gringotts to begin the next step of their plan, gathering evidence from the goblins to bring Fudge crashing down.

The press was stunned by this exit and only Rita Skeeter and her photographer were quick enough to get pictures of his exit, guaranteeing a huge readership for the next day's daily prophet.

**A/N: Not much action this time, but next chapter we finish up with the hearings and move onto dealing with Voldemort and his crew.**

**A/N 2: Please excuse any glaring typos or grammar mistakes. This written while I was travelling for work.**


	9. The Breaking Storm

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter or Wheel of Time.**

**Chapter 8: The Breaking Storm**

**August 30th, Gringotts**

The portal opened into Ragnok's office, taking the goblin by surprise when Harry and Sirius stepped through. Ragnok paled at the sight of Harry Potter, there was nothing he could do though, Potter had enough evidence against Gringotts to bury the goblins. After clasping his hands together to hide the shaking, Ragnok said "Mr. Potter, what can I do for you today? I was under the understanding that you had closed all of your accounts with us Mr. Potter. Do you wish to reopen your accounts?"

"No, I do not wish to reopen my accounts. I do however intend to offer you the opportunity to redeem yourselves for the crimes you have committed against myself and Sirius." Harry said in a bored tone as he watched Sirius conjure two chairs for them to sit in.

Ragnok's ears perked up at this. "What is this opportunity you speak of?"

Harry removed the list of Death Eaters that had gone free during Fudge's time as Minister along with the dates of the trials from his pocket. After placing it on the desk he explained "That is a list of known Death Eaters from Voldemort's first rise. I want a record of any transfer of funds from those families to Fudge prior to their release."

"But, Mr. Potter any records of those transactions would be confidential. We would be violating the trust of our clients." Once he realized what he had said, Ragnok's shoulders slumped and his ears drooped, knowing that he had already violated the trust of the Potters.

"It is either this or I publish your contract with Dumbledore in the Daily Prophet. How will you clients feel about the trustworthiness of goblins then? This way you can claim you are doing it to aid in the war against Voldemort." He said reasonably.

"It will take some time to gather these records. We should have them for you by the end of the week." Ragnok said in attempt to stall for time. If he was able to delay them, he may be able to come up with a way out of this mess without alienating the Pure Blood families.

Harry remained calm and relaxed while he countered "If you don't have the records for me by the time Sirius and I have returned from his vaults, the story will be run in tomorrow's Prophet."

Sirius was struggling not to laugh at the defeated expression on Ragnok's face. It had been like watching a tennis match; but, there was no question in his mind who was the professional and who was the amateur. Back and forth they went with counters offers but Ragnok had no leverage over Harry and everything to lose. In the end, Ragnok agreed to have any documentation ready for Harry in an hour's time.

Before they left the office to go to Sirius' vault, Harry added one more item to the list "Ragnok, please include any transactions that occurred between Dumbledore and Fudge." Seeing Ragnok's nod of acquiescence, the two asked Griphook to take them to the Black vaults.

After a 15 minute cart ride, Sirius and Harry arrived at the Black vaults. Sirius placed his hand on the family crest and the vault doors swung inward revealing a massive vault filled with gold and jewels along with a sprinkling of other odds and ends. Surprised at the lack of items in the vaults Harry asked "Sirius, I thought family vaults were usually filled with books, weapons, and what not in addition to gold?"

"Many of the vaults do contain that kind of thing, but the Blacks have never fully trusted the goblins." Both men heard an insulted huff from Griphook who clearly heard Sirius' statement. "Apparently, that mistrust was well placed. Anyway, the Blacks have always wanted their history available so it is stashed away in different properties scattered throughout Europe."

"Oh, that actually makes sense. Do the Blacks have any other properties in London that we could use? I have already checked and the Potters don't."

"Why, what's wrong with Grimmauld Place?"

"There's nothing wrong with it. I intend to keep using it as our main headquarters. We need a spot we can use for deliveries. Hunter is ready to begin purchasing different types of body armor and weapons so we need a spot that we can use for deliveries without compromising the Fidelius on Grimmauld Place."

"That's a relief. I thought you wanted to move out. I know you are older than me now, but I am not ready to let you go just yet." Harry clapped a hand onto Sirius' should and gave it a squeeze in acknowledgement. "There should be a ledger book showing all the properties owned by the Blacks somewhere in here."

"You know Sirius with Dumbledore arrested we need someone to redo the wards on Grimmauld Place. Plus, not all of the Order joined my little rebellion so we will need to keep them out too."

"We should be able to get the Goblins to do that. Of course it will cost, but if we are leaving after all this is done, then I won't need the money anyway."

"No you won't. You do realize though, we could be going into the middle of another war. I would certainly understand if you didn't want to do that." Not that he would openly admit it even to himself, but Harry needed Sirius. Even though he had found family and had gotten to know James and Lily, he would always have a connection to Sirius.

"I have missed out on enough of your life. I am going there is no talking me out of it. Besides, this is my second war I am not sure what I would do in peacetime." Sirius said only half-joking.

Harry nodded with a smile and the two men began looking for the ledger Sirius had mentioned. Finally, after 10 minutes of searching through collapsed mounds of galleons and old trunks, Sirius found the ledger and began to leaf through it. "Harry, do we need a lot of space or will we just be using the address as a mail stop?"

"I suppose we could use it as a secondary HQ, but given the number of properties we have between the two of us, it would probably best be used as just a mail stop. Why?"

"Apparently, I the proud own of a 2 bedroom flat near Hyde Park. Would that work?"

"I don't see why not. If you don't need anything else, let's head back up and see what Ragnok has found." Turning, both men left the vault and rode in the cart with Griphook back to the lobby. Minutes later, Griphook took them into Ragnok's office.

Ragnok looked up to see Harry Potter and Sirius Black walk into his office for the second time that day. This time however, he had something to offer the two men that would hopefully ease the debt he had incurred with his actions against them. He shuffled and then tapped the documentation he was reviewing on his desk before beginning. "I have good news for you. Each of the names you provided me made substantial transfers in the sum of 25,000 galleons or more to Minister Fudge's account two days prior to their release from Azkaban."

This news earned predatory grins from both Harry and Sirius. Sirius spoke up though "What about Dumbledore, did he make any transfers to Fudge?"

Responding with a feral grin himself Ragnok replied "Yes he did though the sum was smaller. Also, he appeared to make regular monthly payments to Fudge in the same amount until the time of your escape from Azkaban."

Sirius chuckled softly even as his eyes darkened in anger and said S"I never new Fudge had it in him to blackmail Dumbledore. Ragnok, we need a secure messenger to take these documents to Madame Bones at the DMLE."

"Of course, we can courier it over now if you would like. I have prepared duplicates for both of you in either case." It was obvious that Ragnok was hoping that Harry viewed their cooperation in a favorable light.

"Ragnok, I am pleasantly surprised by your actions today. I will not say all is forgiven or forgotten, but you do have a reprieve. We may come back in the future for another 'favor' but we will not ask the goblins to openly fight against Voldemort." Harry finished in a businesslike tone.

Shoulders straighter as if some of the weight had been lifted from them, Ragnok said sincerely "Thank you Mr. Potter. Let us know if we can be of service in the future."

"Now that you mention it, there is another service we will require."

Somewhat nervously, not wanting to lose what little trust he had regained, Ragnok asked "What do you ask of us?"

"We would like the Goblins to break the wards of my home at #12 Grimmauld Place and re-ward it with everything you can think of." Sirius answered for Harry.

Ragnok was about to protest because that would be a significant amount of work when Harry added "Of course, we are willing to pay your normal rates for this job."

"In that case, simply send us an owl with the date when you would like the work done and we will have a team ready." Ragnok replied with relief.

Their business complete, both men pocketed the documents and left Gringotts for Knockturn Alley. Harry needed to make some purchases from an armor shop in Knockturn Alley and Sirius did not want him to go alone. They walked down the alley, avoiding the less than reputable inhabitants wherever possible though most if not all of them stared at Harry wondering what the "Savior" of the Wizarding world would be doing in such a disreputable place. Word had already leaked from the hearing about Harry's new appearance.

"With these documents, we should have more than enough for both trials tomorrow against Fudge and Dumbledore." Sirius said to Harry.

Harry looked thoughtful and added "If necessary, I can testify as well, but it will definitely be fun to sit in the courtroom and watch both men get what's coming to them."

Sirius just laughed and the two continued to walk further into Knockturn Alley.

Near the end of the second block, they came to the store in question Coldcastle's Armor Supply. Inside the store, Harry and Sirius saw that the walls were covered with different sets of armor both medieval and modern. One wall seemed devoted to the different styles of dragon and basilisk armor that was available for those with deep enough pockets. Other walls were devoted to the traditional chainmail or plate armor made popular by the knights of old. Behind the counter stood a burly man who appeared to be in his mid 50's with thinning hair and a well trimmed beard. He was eyeing Sirius and Harry with a suspicious eye as they looked over the different types of dragon and basilisk armor that was available.

Coldcastle asked "Is there anything I can help you find?"

They walked up to the counter and Sirius began describing their needs. Hunter had identified a number of different armor types that seemed to offer the greatest protection. Specifically, they needed to get sets of armor from the Antipodean Opaleye, Chinese Fireball, and the Peruvian Vipertooth dragons.

Coldcastle explained that of the three types of armor it was the Opaleye that provided the greatest flexibility and range of mobility. The armor itself was an iridescent white and according to Coldcastle would withstand many hexes and charms but would not provide much protection versus spells that caused impact damage such as the _Reducto _and _Percussio_ hexes. Because it was lighter than other dragon armor it allowed greater range of motion.

The Chinese Fireball armor was a deep scarlet. It was clearly heavier then the Opaleye and was backed by a thick layer of padding. Coldcastle went on to explain that it afforded greater protection from spells than the Opaleye would and in combination with the padding provided some protection from impact spells and physical blows. However the greater protection came at the cost of increased stiffness and less mobility. Some of that could be offset by proper fittings but it would never have the same flexibility as the Opaleye.

The last set that Sirius asked to see was the Peruvian Vipertooth. Of the three, the copper colored Vipertooth armor was the heaviest of the three armors. It had two layers of scales separated by a layer of padding. It was best used by someone who didn't require much mobility or agility but it provided the strong protection from all spells but the Unforgivables. Coldcastle suggested that the armor is best used for sentries or guards that would be casting from set locations.

Before Harry and Sirius left the store, they asked for three sets of each type of armor to be sent to Sirius' flat. Coldcastle said it would take a couple of weeks to get all nine sets and he would need the money upfront. Grunting in amusement, Sirius handed over the 5,000 galleons. Coldcastle's eyes lit up at the money on the counter and got to work immediately on the armor as Harry and Sirius left.

Sirius pulled Harry into another shop before they had made it half a block back towards Diagon Alley. It was the Tribal Tattoo shop. "Sirius what are we doing here, we need to meet with my solicitor shortly?" Sirius didn't answer so Harry looked around the shop.

The shop was small. The main room couldn't be more than 15x15. The walls were covered with tattoo sketches and drawings. A tall man wearing dirty blue pants and an old ripped t-shirt entered from the back room. His arms and neck were covered with different tattoos and his both ears were pierced multiple times. He had a thin silver necklace with a crucifix hanging outside his shirt. "What can I do for you gents?"

Sirius answered with a grin "I want a tribal tattoo."

"It is going to take an hour or so." The owner answered.

Harry asked "Why will it take so long? I thought tattoos were just spelled on in a matter of minutes?"

"That's true, but in order to get a tribal tattoo you have to drink a potion that creates the tattoo for you based on your personality."

Despite himself, Harry was intrigued by the idea so he asked "Does it work for muggles too? We have a couple of friends that would love something like that."

"Yeah it works but the tattoo won't be animated the way it is for a wizard or witch because there is no magic for it to feed on."

"Can we take the potion with us? We have another appointment to get to." Harry asked.

"Yeah, it will cost a little extra. How many do you want?"

Sirius answered "We will take 5 doses. That should be enough. If anyone else wants one, they can come on their own."

Sirius passed him the money and they left that the shop with five doses of the potion. Soon they were out of Knockturn Alley and at the apparition point. Sirius apparated and took them to offices of the Potter family solicitor.

Acheron stepped out of the shadows after Sirius and Harry had apparated away. Unbeknownst to Harry and Sirius, he had been following them since he caught sight of their exit from Gringotts. Acheron had been waiting in a flat near Gringotts for days in the hopes of catching sight of Harry ever since he had sensed Saidin begin channeled in massive amounts. Today he had finally gotten a break and saw Harry and Sirius leave the bank. Following from a safe distance, he only heard snatches of conversation but he connected the dots and realized that Harry would be at the trial of Albus Dumbledore tomorrow that he had heard people discussing.

_Flashback_

_Acheron was disoriented, he had just exited Tel'aran'rhiod in muggle London and was trying to get his bearings. The last thing he remembered was his attack striking the portal stone and the image of a lightning bolt, the scar on Telamon's head, being burned into his mind. Somehow, he must have channeled the energy of the attack into the portal stone using the lightning bolt as the destination point._

_Based on the technology, they were obviously in the past. He spent the next day wandering around the city, getting a feel for the people and potential threats. He had not felt a single person channel, so it appeared that the history books were correct and man had not always had the ability to channel._

_It was during the second morning that Acheron felt someone channeling a great amount of Saidin. Running into an alley, he opened a portal that took him to the sight of the disturbance. He stepped through the portal to see Gringotts Bank experiencing an earthquake._

_Acheron decided to wait and see who exited the bank. He could only assume that Telamon, Seraph or Hunter had survived and was responsible for the display. Approximately an hour later, his patience was rewarded. Growling he watched as Telamon, Seraph, Hunter and two other men leave Gringotts and proceed down Diagon Alley only to disappear. He was not sure what method they were using, but he knew it was not Traveling._

_With what he had seen that day in Diagon Alley, Acheron knew he was going to need an ally if he wanted to kill Telamon and return to his time. He resolved to stay near Gringotts figuring that Telamon would be back and he would keep his ear to the ground for potential allies._

_End Flashback_

**Law Offices of Andrew Nistor**

"You never told me how you found out about this guy."

Harry thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and answering. "The name of the law firm was mentioned in some of the documents from the family vault." He wished he could tell Sirius the real reason but no one could learn about James and Lily.

_Flashback_

_It was the third night since Harry had arrived in the 20th century. He decided it was time to visit Tel'ara'rhiod once again to see if his parents reached a decision. Relaxed and comfortable on his bed, Harry slipped into the necessary trance and entered the world of dreams._

_Looking around at muggle London for a few moments he again marveled at the complete emptiness of the city. Even in the future, Dreamers were uncommon but still everyone would occasionally touch Tel'aran'rhiod during their sleep. It did not appear to be the case here._

_Harry yelled loudly "James! Lily! It's Harry, I have come back to speak with you. Walking further down the street, Harry called out again. After a few more tries, James and Lily stepped out of the shadows near Harry causing Harry to jump in surprise. "Don't do that to me! You don't want to meet me here on a permanent basis yet do you?"_

_James was laughing and Lily had a wide grin on her face. James answered "Maybe if you weren't shouting loud enough to wake the dead you would have heard us."_

_Chuckling, Harry replied wryly "Well seeing as you two are dead, I felt it necessary."_

_Lily stepped forward and gave Harry a tight hug before stepping back so that James could do the same. Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders as if she was preparing for a battle Lily said "Harry, I know you probably want our answer regarding the Occlumency lessons. We have talked it over and we just don't think it is a good idea at this time. Too many people would know of our existence and that would be dangerous for everyone tied to the pattern."_

_Harry had just opened his mouth to protest when James took over at this point "Now that you are in the 20th century, there are many people you could go to get the training you want for your friends. I would suggest going to Andrew Nistor, he is the Potter Family solicitor. All solicitors are required to learn Occlumency to help protect their clients' confidentiality. If he can't train your friends, he can give you some names of trustworthy teachers."_

_Listening to James, Harry got a sheepish expression on his face. "I never thought of that. I guess I was stuck with the idea that only you guys could teach it. You're right it is better this way, I was not entirely comfortable letting more people know about you."_

_James' face tightened a little at that comment "Don't you trust your friends? Not everyone will turn on you the way Martin and Durram did."_

"_I do trust them and I am not worried about them turning of their own choice or I wouldn't want them trained. I just happen to agree with you that your existence is a very dangerous piece of knowledge and should only be told if absolutely necessary."_

_End Flashback_

Sirius didn't quite believe Harry's answer. There was something about it that just seemed to be off, but he figured it didn't really make a difference in the grand scheme of things. They entered Andrew's office and gave their names to the secretary. A few minutes later, Andrew entered the main lobby and introduced himself.

Andrew Nistor was 67 years old, thin grey hair and cold blue eyes. If Harry didn't know better, he would swear he was a muggle because he was dressed in a perfectly tailored navy blue pinstripe Armani suit with black leather loafers and a starched white shirt. Completing the outfit was a solid iridescent red tie. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, I am Andrew Nistor. Please come into my office where we can speak privately."

Andrew led them into his office and motioned them to take two chairs that were seated in front of his desk. "Mr. Potter this meeting came as quite a surprise. I was not expecting to meet with you for another 2 years when you would have come of age."

"Mr. Nistor…" Andrew cut Harry off and said "Please call me Andrew."

"Andrew, how is that you know who I am when I don't appear to be a 15 year old boy?"

"Ahhh, you see when I heard about the trial of Sirius Black, I went to watch. I was in the courtroom for your defense. It was masterfully done by the way. I always love to see Minister Fudge put in his place."

Chuckling, Harry went on to explain the reason for the visit. "Andrew, I need someone to teach Occlumency to Sirius and 3 other associates of mine. I was told that all solicitors are trained and that if you could not do it yourself, you could probably recommend someone."

Andrew tented his fingers as he thought the matter over. Finally he peered at Harry over his hands and replied "I should be able to provide the training myself. If you necessary, I can train you in Legilimency in order to help your associates perfect their shields."

Harry turned to Sirius and asked "Sirius, please cast some privacy wards around this room." Turning back to Andrew he said "Andrew I apologize for this, but I need a wizard's oath that anything I am about to tell you remains secret. This goes beyond even attorney-client privilege. I will say, it is nothing criminal."

Surprise flickered briefly across Andrew's face before he responded "I admit that I am intrigued." Pausing to consider the matter, Andrew went ahead and gave Harry his oath.

Once the flare of magic had dissipated, Harry explained why he could not learn Legilimency and provided a brief overview of his background. "Andrew, I am not asking you to fight, but your help could be invaluable in our dealings with the Ministry."

"I do not find the prospect of fighting to be appealing. However, as you say I could be of assistance with the Ministry and I think I would enjoy helping with some of the research. I owe much to the Potter family and this may be my opportunity to pay it back. When would you like the lessons to begin?"

"Tomorrow night would be best. My friends would be extremely dangerous if they were to fall under the control of the Imperius. Either Sirius or I will be by to pick you up at 7pm."

"I look forward to it."

Standing, the three men shook hands. Sirius and Harry then left the office and apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

**Grimmauld Place**

Sirius and Harry popped into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place with a loud crack. Sirius grinned for a moment at Harry before stating "I don't know about you, but I could go for a drink."

"You know they say that acceptance is the first step to recovery."

"Ha…Bloody Ha. Just have a drink with me in the library. Remus and Hunter are probably there anyway. Besides, the tribal tattoo is supposed to be moderately painful so this will help deaden the pain somewhat."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through the day." Harry replied with a grin and ran off to the library but not before channeling a little water and thoroughly soaking Sirius.

Sirius chased after him, casting jinx after jinx which Harry somehow managed to dodge. Then an idea came to him and just as Harry was about to reach the stairs, he conjured a block of wood right in front of his foot tripping him up. Seizing the opportunity, Sirius changed into Padfoot jumped onto his chest and covered Harry's laughing face with slobber.

After a couple of minutes, Harry was able to shove Padfoot off his and wipe his face. "Padfoot you really crossed the line with that one. Do you know how bad dog breath stinks?"

Changing back, Sirius defended himself "Hey, my breath doesn't stink." Grumbling some more to himself he grunted out "Come on, let's get that drink now."

Harry shrugged and walked upstairs to the 2nd floor and into the library. Not surprisingly, they found both Hunter and Remus reading quietly. Before either man could say anything, Sirius announced "I'm a free man again."

"Padfoot, that's brilliant." Exclaimed Remus before he gave Sirius a strong hug. Hunter echoed the sentiment before returning to his book. Remus poured Sirius a drink without bothering to ask and said "Tell us everything. I want to hear all the details."

Sirius described the hearing and the testimony of the different Aurors and his own questioning by Fudge. Harry added his own spin to the events and soon Remus was laughing hysterically at the way Fudge hung himself with Sirius' testimony.

After finishing his second drink of brandy, Harry asked "Where is Seraph?"

Hunter replied "He is downstairs working out. Said he doesn't want to get rusty because of the lack of competition."

"Let him work out all he wants, it just makes him easier to beat when he is overconfident and tired." Harry said smugly. Unfortunately for him, Seraph was standing in the doorway at time and was currently glaring at him.

"I will remember that the next time we spar. No more going easy on Mr. I-Not-A-Blademaster." Seraph said with a feral grin.

Harry groaned and tried to recover by saying "Hey, we got a celebratory present for you."

"That's nice. It isn't going to save you though. But what is this present?"

Sirius went into the events of the rest of the day. He described their meeting with Ragnok and the evidence they had showing the bribes that Fudge had received from the Death Eaters that had gone free. Remus actually shattered the snifter he was holding when he heard that Dumbledore had been paying Fudge regularly to keep Sirius in Azkaban. Eventually though Sirius got to the tribal tattoos.

Predictably, Hunter and Remus were more intrigued by the way the potion worked then in actually getting a tattoo. Seraph, Harry and Sirius were all eager to take the potion though. After Sirius had passed a vial to Seraph and Harry, he gave a quick toast and they swallowed the potion as one.

It wasn't painful per se. It felt more like something was crawling over their skin and wouldn't go away. As the hour progressed, the feeling intensified and changed. Now, it was like the body was pushing the tattoo up from underneath the skin. In the end, for Seraph and Harry, the feeling simply faded away as the potion finished its work. Sirius yelped as he felt his tattoo move, tickling him in the process.

Hunter's eyes were dancing as he asked to see the tattoos. Harry had a long golden serpentine dragon running the length of his left arm from the shoulder to his wrist.

Seraph had to remove his shirt in order to see his tattoo. In the middle of his upper back was a large angel with glistening white wings spread wide and a flaming sword in his hand.

Hunter just snickered at his friends. "That is so predictable. Harry gets a dragon to go along with his father and Seraph gets an angel, like his name."

"Hey, you would probably get a book if you were brave enough to take the potion." Seraph retorted.

Remus cut the argument short by saying "Come on Sirius, let's see it."

Sirius had to remove his shirt as well. His tattoo had moved to his upper chest from his back, it was a black puppy that looked remarkably like a baby Grim playing with a bright red ball. Sirius blushed furiously when he saw the tattoo in a mirror. Remus just burst out laughing "Padfoot we always knew you were just a big softy. Do you want a saucer of milk for your little puppy?" Harry, Seraph, and Hunter joined Remus and laughed at the expression on Sirius' face and his tattoo.

After everyone had calmed down, Harry described their last appointment of the day. For the benefit of Seraph and Hunter he described Occlumency and the reasons for learning it. "Do you think this can work as a defense against Compulsion?" Hunter asked.

"It could, but dad and I never tested it. I suppose we should have, but I could never bring myself to use Compulsion on him." Harry replied.

"It certainly sounds like it would. I doubt the flows would be able to penetrate the shields as long as they were strong enough. The Dark One's influence may even be thrown off, but we won't know until we get back."

"Andrew will be coming by tomorrow night to begin your training. He may also be helping out Hunter's research team."

"Remus, I know you haven't decided yet if you are going to be coming with us to the future, but I would like you to take the training as well, just in case. I also want you and Sirius to learn Legilimancy so that we can train other Aes Sedai once we get back."

"OK, I have to admit, it is something I have always wanted to learn." Remus answered after a moment's thought.

**August 31 10:00 AM, Ministry of Magic Courtroom #10**

The courtroom was packed with press and witnesses. Apparently during his time as Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge had managed to alienate a great number of people but always managed to win just enough votes to stay in office. Amelia smiled as she surveyed the crowd while walking towards the judge's seat, she didn't think that Fudge would have too many supporters left once the trial was over. She noticed Harry was sitting in the back of the courtroom and doing everything he could to avoid attention.

After she had taken her seat, she rapped the gavel to get everyone's attention. "We are here today for the trial of Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic." She paused for a moment as the press began taking photo after photo practically blinding her and the members of the Wizengamot behind her in the process.

"Cornelius Fudge you have been charged with the wrongful imprisonment of Sirius Black and corruption. How do you plead?"

Fudge rose from his chair and stared at the members of the Wizengamot proudly "I plead not guilty. These charges have been brought by people out to slander my good name."

Though she did not expect anything different, she had hoped that Cornelius would do the smart thing and plead guilty. Sighing in disappointment she asked the prosecutor to begin his case.

"Madam Bones, I call Auror Jameson to the witness stand." The prosecutor, Matthew Robertson, waited while Jameson sat down and was sworn in before he started his questioning. "Auror Jameson, were you one of those responsible for the arrest of Sirius Black?"

"Yes I was."

"Were you also part of the team that questioned Mr. Black?"

"Sir, Sirius Black was never questioned."

"Why was he not questioned? Is it not standard practice to question a suspect?"

"Sir we were told not to bother and to bring him directly to Azkaban."

"Are you aware that it is illegal for someone to be sent to Azkaban without a trial?"

"Yes."

"And yet you did it anyway, why is that?"

"We were ordered to by Minister Fudge."

"The same Minister Fudge that is standing trial today?"

"Yes."

"I have no more questions for this witness."

"Defense, do you have any questions for this witness?" Amelia asked.

"None at this time Madame Bones." Devon Pasdow, Cornelius' solicitor answered. Cornelius was looking somewhat nervous but he was still confident that he would be acquitted in the end. He had too many friends in the Wizengamot.

Matthew called each Auror involved in Sirius' arrest and asked each man the same questions. They all told the same story and confirmed that they had been ordered to throw Sirius Black into Azkaban without a trial or even questioning by Cornelius Fudge.

Each time Devon stayed silent. There was nothing he could to refute the Aurors' testimony. All this testimony had been printed in the Daily Prophet this morning after the hearing for Sirius the day before. It would make Cornelius look worse to fight it now.

"We call Cornelius Fudge to the stand." Matthew said in a loud voice.

Standing once again, Cornelius walked with his head held high and should squared up to the witness stand. "Minister Fudge are you friends with any Death Eaters?"

"Of course not, I would not lower myself to associate with such filth!" Cornelius said hotly.

"Indeed, then are you friends with Samuel Crabbe, Lucius Malfoy, Walden Macnair, James Goyle, William Avery, or Maxwell Nott?"

"Yes, though I would not call them friends, more like associates." Fudge responded, not sure where Matthew was going with this.

"I thought you said that you did not associate with Death Eaters and yet each of these men carries the Dark Mark."

Devon shot to his feet before Cornelius could respond "Madame Bones, I object. Each of these men were released after admitting they had been placed under the Imperius curse."

"Move along, Mr. Pasdow is correct, these men were found to be innocent." Amelia said. Inside she was jumping for joy. Devon Pasdow had just opened a new line of questioning to tie Cornelius to the trials of these Death Eaters.

"Minister Fudge, who served as the judge for the cases of the six Death Eaters?"

Puffing his chest, Cornelius answered "I was the judge. Luckily we were able to avoid sending more innocent men to Azkaban."

"Was the decision to acquit made by the Wizengamot or yourself?"

"It was my decision, the evidence clearly pointed to the Imperius curse." Answered Fudge pompously.

Again Devon objected claiming that everyone knew the story of the trials. Matthew explained that he wanted to make sure the facts were clear. Amelia asked him to get to the point.

Matthew removed a stack of papers from a folder on his table. "We present exhibit A to the court." He gave a copy to Amelia and one to Devon and handed the final copy to Cornelius himself. "Minister Fudge is this a record your Gringotts' account?"

Tiny beads of sweat started to pop out on Cornelius' forehead and his face became extremely pale "Yes it is, but how did you get this. Records with Gringotts' are confidential?"

Matthew ignored that question and pressed on "Can you describe the transaction that occurred on November 20th, 1980?"

"There was a deposit of 25,000 galleons into my account." Fudge's face had changed from pale white to a slight green.

"Can you remember the source of such a large deposit?"

"That was such a long time ago…I am sure it was a campaign contribution of some sort." Fudge tried to make it sound reasonable that someone would donate such a large sum of money.

"And the transactions on November 21st, 25th, 27th, 30th, and December 3rd, were those also campaign donations?"

"…" Fudge could not think of anything to say. He couldn't believe the goblins had given out these records.

"Minister Fudge are you aware that the only transactions on these dates for these amounts came from the 6 Death Eaters I mentioned earlier and that the transaction each take place 2 days before their trial in front of you?"

Devon stared at Fudge for a moment, his mind racing trying to find a way to salvage the situation. It wasn't open and shut, but it sure looked like Cornelius had taken bribes. "This does not prove anything. Those deposits could have been made for any reason." Even to his own ears, his argument sounded pathetic.

A predatory smile spreading across his face, Matthew asked "Were the same families making more campaign donations when they were accused of being Death Eaters by Harry Potter and the Ministry never pursued the case earlier this summer?"

Hate contorted Cornelius' face and he inadvertently crushed the account statements when he clenched his hands. He retorted hotly "Potter is just an arrogant, attention seeking boy. He would say anything to keep the limelight on him."

"Of course he is, shall we move on the wrongful imprisonment of Sirius Black?" Matthew asked reasonably.

Face red and spittle flying Fudge lost his temper and shouted "He was not wrongfully imprisoned, I was told by Albus Dumbledore himself that he was guilty."

"Did Albus Dumbledore suggest you simply send him to Azkaban without a trial as well?"

"Yes he did, he said it wasn't necessary!" Fudge knew he was screwed on the corruption charge but as much as he hated Dumbledore, he felt his name would get him cleared of this charge.

"So you saw no problem with throwing a man into Azkaban with no trial, questioning or concrete evidence of his guilt as long as Dumbledore said so?" Matthew asked curiously.

Devon just stared at his client with his mouth hanging open. It was like a train wreck, you want to turn away but something keeps drawing you back. He couldn't believe he was openly admitting to breaking the law and there was nothing he could object to.

"I have complete faith in Dumbledore. If he said Black was guilty than he was."

"If that was the case then why did Dumbledore feel it necessary to make monthly payments of 5,000 galleons to your account? And why did those payments stop the month that Black escaped?"

"…" Fudge had no answer to that. He looked at Devon and mouthed 'Do Something!'

Matthew felt confident he had made his case and said simply "Your witness."

At this point Devon wanted to see Cornelius in Azkaban as much as anyone else and said quietly "No questions."

With the completion of Cornelius' testimony, Matthew rested his case. Amelia turned to Devon to begin. Unfortunately for Cornelius, the witnesses for his side were conspicuously absent. It would not do any good to put the Aurors or Dumbledore on the stand as they could only confirm the violations. When he saw that he had no witnesses to call forward Devon said simply "The defense rests as we are unable to find any of our witnesses."

Amelia smirked, the rats were clearly fleeing the sinking ship. "The Wizengamot will begin deliberations then." She raised a privacy shield and separated herself and the Wizengamot from the courtroom.

The spectators and press were buzzing when the shield fell a scant five minutes later. Many were visibly excited at the prospect of seeing Cornelius fall from power. Amelia again rapped the gavel and announced "Cornelius Fudge please stand. The Wizengamot had found you guilty on both charges. You are sentenced to a term of 10 years in Azkaban and your Gringotts' account is to be confiscated and used for the war effort."

Fudge was furious, he had spent thousands of galleons bribing different members of the Wizengamot and he was still found guilty. Yelling "You can't do this to me. I am the Minister of Magic, I order you to release me." At the direction of Amelia, two Aurors were dragging a struggling Cornelius back to a holding cell.

Amelia rapped the gavel one final time and announced that the trial of Albus Dumbledore would begin at 2pm. With that she started to walk out of the courtroom only to be mobbed by members of the press.

They wanted to know who would be the Minister now that Fudge was going to Azkaban. She explained that the Wizengamot would hold a special election to elect an interim Minister for the remainder of Fudge's current term.

Other questions focused on the evidence provided by Gringotts and Dumbledore's role in the imprisonment of Sirius Black. She brushed by the involvement of the goblins. She did not want to expose their involvement with Dumbledore until his trial.

Harry quietly slipped out and returned to Grimmauld Place to give everyone a recap of the morning.

**August 31 2:00 PM, Ministry of Magic Courtroom #10**

Harry entered the courtroom shortly before 2pm with Seraph in tow. He wanted to see the reaction of the press and public if Dumbledore was found guilty. It would provide some insight into the general feeling of people and their willingness to fight back against Voldemort.

Harry and Seraph were completely unaware of the fact that Acheron was hiding in the back corner of the courtroom. He had entered approximately 20 minutes earlier as was currently hiding under an illusion making it appear as if the corner was unoccupied. Luckily, he had tied the flows off so he did not need to continue channeling otherwise he would have been detected by either Seraph or Harry.

_Flashback_

_After yesterday's discovery of Telamon, Acheron began making plans to get into the courtroom for the trial of Albus Dumbledore. With no way of finding the Ministry of Magic on his own, he began searching for an Auror that he could use._

_After some searching, he was able to spot an Auror at the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Confident that Telamon was gone, he channeled briefly and used Compulsion on the Auror. While the Auror had been trained to resist the Imperius curse, Compulsion was much more difficult to resist._

_Acheron told the Auror to meet his at the same spot tomorrow at 1:15pm. He would have the Auror take him to the Ministry of Magic and get him into the courtroom. Satisfied, that the Compulsion would hold, he tied it off and sent the Auror on his way._

_End Flashback_

Harry and Seraph were forced to separate because they could not find enough space to sit together. Harry squeezed into a spot near the front since he would be called on to provide testimony. Seraph was sitting towards the back left of the room, the opposite side from Acheron. After he had taken his seat, Harry noticed that Dumbledore was already present, sitting in the defendant's chair with a grandfatherly expression on his face as he looked over the crowd.

Precisely at 2pm, Amelia walked into the courtroom with the members of the Wizengamot following her. Once everyone was seated, Amelia began the trial. "We are here today for the trial of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Albus Dumbledore you have been charged with the violation of the Potter's will, conspiracy to wrongfully imprison Sirius Black, and conspiracy to hide a family's inheritance. How do you plead?"

"I plead guilty." Dumbledore said humbly and with a sad expression on his face.

Gasps could be heard throughout the courtroom and the press was frantically writing out this latest surprise. Amelia was shocked. She couldn't believe that Dumbledore wasn't going to be fighting the charges. Surely, he had something up his sleeve. Despite her wishes to simply accept his plea, she had to question him now on his crimes. "As you know, before we can accept your guilty plea, we must question you on the crimes."

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling and he had his grandfather act going strong as he responded "Of course, I will answer any questions you have."

"Why did you not heed the Potter's will? They listed quite clearly who was to serve as Harry Potter's guardians in the event of their death." Amelia asked.

"I felt that it was better for Harry Potter to grow up away from the attention he would have no doubt received had he been raised in the wizarding world." Albus replied reasonably. "I was just trying to look out for the best interests of Harry."

"Is that why you conspired with the goblins to hide the will? If you were so confident of your decision, then why did you conceal it?"

"Harry's safety was more important that anything that his parents had arranged for him." Dumbledore answered, some of the grandfatherly tone lost from his voice. Why couldn't they all see that it was for the greater good? Sacrifices sometimes have to be made.

"Harry's safety was important enough to knowingly and purposefully send Sirius Black, an innocent man to Azkaban for life?"

Dumbledore frowned at this question, not wanting to give away too much information. "Sirius Black comes from a Dark family. He would not have been a good influence on Harry. It was critical that he be kept away from him." Harry seethed at this remark. Sirius was a good man and he would have made a great father.

"What influence did his family have? He had already been disowned so there was little to no contact or influence."

"The risk was too great. I could not take the chance that Harry Potter would grow up in an environment that did not wholly support the Light." Dumbledore said heatedly.

Amelia pressed on "Why was that so important? Is there something about Harry that your aren't sharing with us?"

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed at that question and he replied in a low tone "It would not be advisable to answer that question in public."

"So if you won't answer that, then I will sum it all up. You felt that it was not a crime to violate the Potter's will and to work with the goblins to conceal that face or to wrongfully incarcerate Sirius Black. All of this was because you thought it was best for Harry Potter?"

"It was all for the greater good. Sacrifices had to be made and those in power would not have been willing to do so." Dumbledore said simply.

"That is exactly why we have elected officials Dumbledore. Private citizens are not empowered to break the law whenever they feel like it. You are just as much a danger to our society as Voldemort. You took the law into your own hands and blatantly violated the rights of James and Lily Potter, Harry Potter and Sirius Black in the process. That is exactly what Voldemort does. Your way is simply less violent." Amelia concluded nearly shouting at the end.

Losing his temper, Dumbledore roared "Now you see here, I defeated Grindelwald, I think I am the best one to decide what is best for this society and what actions to take."

"That is exactly what makes you so dangerous to our society. Regardless, I think we have heard enough, the Wizengamot will begin their deliberations now." She finished and raised the privacy shield once more separating the Wizengamot from the rest of the courtroom.

Dumbledore sat in his chair, not happy with this turn of events. He was confident none the less that his history and reputation would pull him through.

Everyone in the courtroom was buzzing as with Fudge's trial, the Wizegamot had returned after deliberating for an extremely short amount on time, only 15 minutes. Amelia rapped a gavel on the bench to call the court room back to order. She asked Dumbledore to rise.

"After deliberation, we have decided to accept your plea. We find Albus Dumbledore to be guilty of on all counts." Amelia said formally while looking at Dumbledore.

At hearing the verdict, Harry glanced at Dumbledore and watched as his smug confident expression was wiped off his face by the verdict. Dumbledore's shoulders sagged.

A sense of elation filled Harry, despite all the evidence and his plea, he was worried that Dumbledore's reputation would sway the Wizengamot. Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry relaxed back in the chair.

"Albus Dumbledore you have been found guilty on all counts. Normally these crimes would require a minimum sentence of 20 years in Azkaban but in light …" Amelia was cut off at that point by an explosion blasting open the doors to the courtroom.

12 Death Eaters burst into the room stepping over the remains of the door. They immediately began firing spells in all directions while the lead two Death Eaters seemed focused on Dumbledore and Amelia. _Avada Kedavra_ both yelled aiming at the neon green spells Dumbledore and Amelia.

The other Death Eaters attacked the Aurors in the room, attempting to take out the greatest threats. Several of the Aurors fell to the _Avada Kedavra_ but two Aurors were able to dodge the spell and began attacking the Death Eaters. Harris Pullman, one of the remaining Aurors transfigured a nearby chair into a wall to use as cover and shouted out _Stupefy_ hitting one of the Death Eaters. Unfortunately, another simply cast _Enervate_ and went back to methodically destroying his cover. Harris was forced to remain behind cover and focus on transfiguring the items around him into shields to block the incoming spells. He didn't have time to do anything else with the number of spells being thrown his way.

Dumbledore was too stunned to react and he was struck in the chest, collapsing to the floor quite dead. Amelia was saved by a deep blue shield that appeared directly in front of her and absorbed the spell before shattering back into nothingness.

Once the shock wore off, the wizards and witches that had come to the Ministry today to witness the historic trials began screaming and panicking. Some tried to run for the door while others huddled down on the floor hoping to avoid being hit.

Harry recovered from the surprise quickly and opened himself to Saidin and spun a shield in front of Amelia. Once he saw Amelia was safe, he focused on the two lead Death Eaters. Harry formed a block of solid shimmering air and slammed into the Death Eaters slamming them against the wall hard enough to shatter the concrete and crush the Death Eaters. Before he could attack again, he sensed someone else channeling.

Turning he saw Seraph wading into the main group of Death Eaters with his sword drawn, and then he saw Acheron fade into view. He was standing in the corner of the court room staring at him. Harry reacted as soon as he felt Acheron attack, diving to his right towards the center aisle hitting the floor and rolling to a crouching position to see a bar of Balefire tear through 3 people racing for the door and shoot into the chair where he had been sitting. Immediately, 3 people ceased to exist, fading into nothingness.

Meanwhile, Seraph drew his sword and started advancing on the Death Eaters. Slipping into the forms he had trained in for years, he attacked the first Death Eater. Swallow takes flight resulted in one man losing his arm before swinging again and lopping off his head. Moving on to another target, Parting the Silk eviscerated another Death Eater. Diving forward into a roll to avoid an _Avada _Kedavra and slashing upward as he stopped in front of yet another attacker he opened a deep gash from the man's waist to his neck. As the third Death Eater collapsed from Seraph's sword he moved on to the next.

Dean Hornsby the only other remaining Auror saw Seraph attacking the Death Eaters with his sword distracting them. Not one to waste an opportunity, he silently cast _Reducto_ at a Death Eater near him. The spell caught him in the chest, shattering his sternum and forcing the bone into his heart. He dropped to the floor dead.

Acheron called out "Telamon, you can't beat me. Give up now!" He channeled again sending another bar of brilliant while Balefire blasting towards Harry, this time catching Hornsby, one of two Aurors still standing and a Death Eater.

Harry rolled forward this time and could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise as the Balefire shot over his head again. Coming out of his roll, he channeled earth and thrust both of his hands into the floor. The floor rippled and turned to liquid underneath Acheron throwing him to the floor and pulling him down trapping him as it solidified again.

Two of the remaining Death Eaters turned to face Seraph while he was dispatching another of their comrades. One cast _Reducto _and the other cast _Crucio. _Harry, saw them attack and wove flows of air and water into a brilliant blue-white lightning bolt that arced from his hand to each of the Death Eaters. Smoke began to roil out from their robes as they were electrocuted by the force of Harry's attack.

Seraph turned just in time to be blasted off his feet by the _Reducto_ which had the benefit of blowing him away from the _Crucio_ but broke his left leg in the process. Pushing the pain away, he wove a shield around himself and shot a sheet of fire across the courtroom into one of the three remaining Death Eaters.

Another explosion rocked the courtroom, fire and debris flew in all directions slicing into the huddled witnesses as Acheron blasted his way out of the floor. He grabbed the Death Eater nearest to him and opened a portal to the flat he was using and escaped.

Harry grabbed the remaining Death Eater in a flow of air, incapacitating him. He channeled a bit of fire and destroyed the man's wand and severely burnt his hand at the same time. Seeing that there were no more Death Eaters, he sank to the floor once more to catch his breath before he went over to Seraph to check on him.

**Voldemort's Hideout, Wales**

Rodolphus Lestrange was the only Death Eater to survive the assault on the Ministry. His black cloak was ripped and blood could be seen on his clothes underneath. The white face mask had long since been lost in the battle. He had a long deep cut running from just underneath his right eye to his jaw line. While it had been a successful raid in that Albus Dumbledore was dead, they had lost a number of the inner circle including his brother Rabastan and Avery McNair.

Rodolphus turned to Acheron to once again examine this stranger. There was a palpable feeling of hate and disdain that seemed to radiate off the man. His clothes were clearly well made but in a style that he was totally unfamiliar with. And his magic, he had never seen such a display even from the Dark Lord. "Please wait here a moment before I present you to the Dark Lord."

_Flashback _

_As soon as Acheron had stepped through the portal, he let it slam closed. The last thing he needed was for Telamon to follow him through. Now that they were safe, he took a moment to look over the captured Death Eater. He couldn't help but sneer at what he saw. It was evident based on the battle in the courtroom that the attackers were nothing more than thugs not used to any sort of resistance. Acheron only hoped their leader was more intelligent, but he didn't have very high expectations based on what he saw._

"_What were you doing in that courtroom today?" Acheron asked._

_Rodolphus looked around nervously and saw no way to escape. This man had been using magic that he had never seen before and he was not afraid to kill. He decided his best course of action would be to let the Dark Lord deal with him. His course decided, he answered "We were there to kill Albus Dumbledore, Amelia Bones, and Harry Potter."_

_Anger and hatred flared in Acheron's eyes at hearing the name of his mortal enemy. "Who, who ordered you to kill Telamon …or as you call him Potter?" Acheron hissed when he saw the man's confusion at the name Telamon._

_Rodolphus had only seen such intense hatred in the Dark Lord. "It was ordered by the Dark Lord Voldemort." Rodolphus was taken aback when he realized that the stranger had no idea who Voldemort was. How was that possible, his name was feared throughout the wizarding world?_

_Acheron had already realized he would not get any valuable information from this lackey. So he asked "Can you take me to this Voldemort? Perhaps we can help each other complete our mutual goal."_

_Resigned to a choice between punishment at the hands of his Dark Lord or death at the hands of this stranger. He nodded and grabbed the stranger by the arm and portkeyed back to Voldemort's hideout._

_End Flashback_

Acheron sneered at the title. That someone would claim a title so close to the Dark One was galling. "Don't take too long. I am not used to be kept waiting." Rodolphus gulped nervously and hurried into the meeting room to report to the Dark Lord.

After Rodolphus had entered the meeting room, Acheron continued to look around the outer room, never removing his hand from the pommel of his sword. These people are amateurs, they wouldn't last 5 minutes against the rest of the Chosen or even that fool Telamon and his father. Whatever power they had was a pale imitation of the One Power.

Inside the meeting room, Rodolphus found Voldemort sitting on his throne awaiting news of the attack on the Ministry. Struggling a little due to the various wounds he had suffered in the battle, Rodolphus slowly sank to his knee in front of his Dark Lord. He grunted as he leaned forward to bow his head further.

Voldemort was pleased at the display and the obvious pain that was caused by the move and said in a sibilant voice "What was the outcome of the attack Rodolphus? Did you kill Dumbledore, Bones, and Potter?"

"My lord we were able to kill Dumbledore but Potter and Bones escaped." Rodolphus waited nervously for Voldemort's response, tensing his body in preparation for the _Crucio_ he was sure was coming.

"Where are the others? Did not Rabastan and Avery not go with you and 9 of my followers?" Anger was evident in his voice and his eyes were glowing a bright red.

Sweat started to break out across Rodolphus' forehead as he tried to formulate an answer that may allow him to avoid punishment. In the end, he was forced to go with the simple truth "They are dead my lord. Potter and his friend were wielding magic I have never seen before. The two of them killed the others and were able to save many of those in the courtroom."

Red eyes flashing, Voldemort's robes began to ripple as he briefly lost control of his magic when his rage at Rodolphus' report flared. _Crucio_ he yelled aiming the spell at the kneeling form of Rodolphus. Rodolphus felt the spell hit and he collapsed to the floor writhing and screaming in pain as every nerve in his body began firing.

Voldemort finally released the spell before Rodolphus was permanently damaged and asked in a cold voice "And how is that you managed to survive where everyone else did not?"

"I am the reason he survived." Acheron's voice called out from the now open door drawing Voldemort's glare. "Your men could barely manage to kill one old man before they got slaughtered by Telamon and Seraph." While Acheron appeared to be perfectly calm, he was filled with Saidin and prepared to channel in an instant. He had seen some of the attacks these people had and even though they were primitive they were still effective.

"Who are you and I thought it was Potter that killed my Death Eaters?" Voldemort said while fingering his wand preparing to cast a spell should this stranger do anything remotely threatening.

"Potter is Telamon you idiot." Voldemort hissed at the insult and immediately stood and shouted _Crucio_. The spell splashed harmlessly against a hastily erected shield of air and fire. Voldemort started throwing more spells as he advanced on Acheron. _Percussio _was followed by a blasting hex. Both spells had little effect on the shield. Despite the attack, Acheron was leaning casually against the door frame buffing his fingernails on the sleeve of his shirt.

"Are you about finished?" Acheron asked. "I didn't come here to fight you. My only goal is to kill Telamon and return to my time. I could care less what you do after that."

Voldemort was thinking fast. He had never seen a shield that could withstand an Unforgivable and it absorbed two different blasting hexes and never even wavered. Perhaps he could use this fool to kill Potter and steal his power in the process. "Very well, I am willing to accept you as one of my followers and am willing to make you a member of my inner circle."

Acheron rolled his eyes and laughed a bitter laugh. "You misunderstand me. I am not offering to serve you. We will be allies. That is all. Once Telamon is dead, we will go separate ways and you can do whatever you want with these primitives."

Voldemort returned to his throne and sat down. He studied the man before him and he came to the conclusion that if Potter was wielding similar magic to this man, he would indeed need him as an ally. After he slid his wand back into his sleeve, Voldemort agreed to the alliance. "What is your name?"

"You may call me Acheron."

"Very nice, the River of Woe if I am not mistaken. Allies then, until Potter is dead and washed away in his own river of woe." Voldemort said.

Acheron simply smiled. Plans were forming in his mind to trap and finally kill Telamon so that he could return to serve the Great Lord of the Dark.

**A/N: Those are the last trial scenes you will see in this story (Thank God!). This chapter would have been out sooner but I had problems writing them.**

**As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. Ideas, comments, criticism are always welcome.**


	10. Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter or Wheel of Time.**

**Chapter 9: Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War**

**August 31st, 1995**

**Courtroom #10, Ministry of Magic**

People were still screaming and running even though the battle was over and the last Death Eater was incapacitated. The courtroom was in ruins. There were holes in the walls and floor from the Balefire. Scorch marks and small blast holes were everywhere on benches, floors, walls and even the ceiling from spells that had missed or been deflected. By far, the worst sight was the number of dead and wounded. Soft moans could be heard from those that had been lucky enough to only be wounded. In contrast, the dead could be found with looks of shock or terror forever frozen on their face and in their eyes.

The Death Eaters had not been as lucky. The methods used by Harry and seraph had been just as permanent but far more brutal. Their crushed, burned or mangled bodies were spread throughout the gallery of the courtroom.

Harry was struggling to catch his breath as he made his way over to Seraph. After stepping over or around the still bodies of various Death Eaters and victims, he reached Seraph. Opening himself to Saidin, he performed a health check on Seraph and found that other than some cuts and bruises he had only a broken leg, nothing life threatening. Before he released Saidin, he channeled air creating a splint around his leg and tied it off so that he could focus on other things.

"You're fine, other than the leg of course." Harry said as he collapsed onto the floor next to Seraph.

Seraph laughed a little only to grunt in pain as he accidentally shifted his position and his leg protested the change "I must be losing my touch to let myself get hit like that. Seriously, if you can escape unharmed what does that say about me?"

Harry ignored the comment and leaned his head back against bench behind his back. He asked in a tired voice "Did you see Acheron?"

With a brief sidelong look of sympathy at Harry, Seraph responded "Yes. It was too much to hope that he would have died in our trip through the portal stone. I want to know why he took that Death Eater though."

Harry jerked his head towards Seraph, he had only seen the portal close not who went through it. "I think we need to accept the possibility that if he isn't already, Acheron will soon be allies with Voldemort."

"You know in the end that may make things easier for us. We will only have to go after one primary target rather than two."

Before Harry could respond, Amelia walked over with a number of Aurors behind her. "Mr. Potter do you or your friend require medical assistance?"

"I am fine, but Seraph has a broken leg and requires medical attention."

Amelia motioned for one the Aurors to go retrieve a healer. "Would you be willing to meet with me in my office? There are some things we need to discuss." She was purposely being vague not wanting to take the chance that the wrong ears would hear what they had to discuss.

Harry looked at Seraph who nodded his head. Grunting softly as he stood up, Harry followed Amelia back to her office. She walked to her desk and sat in her customary chair looking for all the world as if she had just reported to work. "Harry we need to figure out how to proceed. With Fudge convicted and Dumbledore dead, Voldemort will most likely come out in force now that his return is out in the open."

"Is Minerva the Headmistress of Hogwarts? I assume they would have assigned it to her at least as a temporary measure until Dumbledore's trial was complete."

"Yes she is. Though after today, the position will most likely be permanent." Amelia sighed "As much as I disagreed with the man, I had no desire to see Dumbledore dead."

"Neither did I Amelia, but you did not fire the spell that killed him or even force him to break laws that put him in that position in the first place." There was little sympathy in Harry for Dumbledore the man had brought it on himself. It was unfortunate that he was dead, but part of Harry was thankful that he wouldn't have to worry about the man's manipulations either.

"Can you tell me what happened in the courtroom and I don't mean what you were doing because I saw your memories so I know what you are now capable of?"

"His name is Acheron. I believe I mentioned him the other night. He is from my time and was one of the stronger Aes Sedai that pledged themselves to the Dark One. He was one of my first friends but he was always jealous of my strength or what he saw as special privileges I got because of my father. I am not sure when it happened exactly, but he and my uncle were put on trial for their crimes they committed while maintaining order in one of our cities. Afterwards they both just disappeared. Later I found out, he tortured and killed his ex-fiance another good friend of mine because he felt she had betrayed him by testifying at the trial. The day he pledged himself, he gave up the name Martin and became Acheron."

She leaned back in her chair thinking on what Harry had said. "I'm sure there was nothing you could have done to stop him." Amelia said in an effort to comfort Harry.

"I know, but there are times when I still miss my friend. Martin is dead replaced by Acheron. You should know that Seraph saw him leave with a Death Eater."

Amelia gasped at the implications "Do you think that he is working with Voldemort?"

"I am not sure if he was, but my guess is that he will be. As Seraph pointed out to me, this makes it easier for us in a way because now we know where Acheron will be. So we won't have to focus on two separate targets."

Eyes hard with determination, Amelia broached another subject "The fire that he was using, I have never seen anything like it. Those people it hit just vanished, there were no remains whatsoever."

His eyes closed for a moment, Harry spoke softly "It is called Balefire. It is perhaps the most terrible weapon that someone using the One Power can make use of. There were no remains or ashes or anything left of those people because as soon as they were hit, they literally ceased to exist.

You have to understand, I don't mean that they died. They were erased from the pattern of the universe."

"I am not sure what you mean by erased." Confusion was plainly evident on her face.

"Imagine everyone's life as a thread in a carpet. Balefire burns that thread destroying any future they may have had but it also burns into the past. Actions that had taken place because of that person will no longer have occurred but the memory of their occurrence remains. Depending on how powerful the wielder is the effect may only go back a few minutes or it could go back for days. Imagine, an Auror arrested a criminal and then later that day the Auror is hit by Balefire from someone very strong. That criminal would end up back on the street because the Auror's action would be erased before the arrest was ever made."

"I think I understand what you are getting at. It all seems very fantastic though."

Harry laughed a little bitterly at that comment. "You use magic everyday and you say Balefire sounds fantastic?"

Blushing at the comment "Yes, well it is not everyday that you see people erased from the universe. It takes a little getting used to."

"That it does."

There was a knock at Amelia's door. Without knowing who it was, Harry opened himself to Saidin and prepared to channel in case it was a Death Eater hoping to take them by surprise. At Amelia's request, Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the room. Nodding to Harry, he presented the assessment of the attack.

"How many are dead?" Amelia asked in a businesslike tone.

"We counted 9 dead Death Eaters, one survivor, and two unaccounted for. We had to have your friend release him for us, none of our spells had any effect on the restraints you placed on him."

Harry asked "Is the survivor a member of the inner circle?"

"We're not sure at this point. He may be, but if he is he was not during Voldemort's first rise. Of the Aurors assigned to the courtroom, Pullman is alive, Hornsby is unaccounted for and the rest are dead."

Harry chimed in sadly "Acheron took one of the Death Eaters with him. The other Death Eater and your Auror are dead. They were killed by the attack that Acheron was using. There is nothing left of them to recover."

"What about the civilian casualties?"

"8 dead and 10 wounded and many more unaccounted for. It will be difficult to get idea until we have to check the entry and exit logs to figure out who ran. The Death Eaters also killed the Aurors that were posted outside the courtroom."

Amelia closed her eyes and massaged her forehead for a moment. "Thank you Kingsley. Please see that the families of the slain are notified."

Before leaving, Kingsley said to Harry "Your friend asked me to tell you that he would meet you at the HQ." Harry simply nodded in understanding.

After Kingsley left, Harry confronted Amelia on the real reason for bringing him to her office. She confessed that she wanted to discuss the future of the Ministry with him. Now that Fudge was convicted, there would be an emergency session of the Wizengamot to appoint a new Minister until the next election.

"Arthur Weasley and Victor Harris were looking into potential replacements for Fudge. Since we have a meeting tonight, I suggest we wait and discuss it after hearing their report."

Amelia nodded her agreement and asked if there was anything she could do for him in the meantime. Harry asked if she had the authority to deputize the members of the Order that would be present tonight. With Fudge out of the picture, she was able to give the Order legal authority to serve as Aurors. Giving her his thanks, he told her that someone would be by to pick her up before the meeting. Their conversation finished, Harry stood and Traveled back to Grimmauld Place.

**Grimmauld Place**

_**Order of the Phoenix Meeting**_

This was the first meeting of the new Order of the Phoenix. Everyone from the previous meeting was in attendance. People were chattering amongst themselves about the attack on the Ministry and what it might mean for them and the war against Voldemort. After the last person arrived, Harry called the meeting to order.

Once everyone had quieted down, Harry, Seraph and Amelia gave a recap of the two trials. Discussion lulled for a moment after hearing of Dumbledore's trial and testimony, people were somewhat shocked that he did not deny or refute any of the charges. Even at the end, he appeared to have no remorse for his actions, claiming that sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. Still, it was a subdued order that watched the battle play out from Harry's memory in the pensieve.

Harry put his hands on the table and stood. "Before we move on and answer any questions you may have, I would like to have a moment of silence for Albus Dumbledore, the Aurors, and the men and women in the gallery that died today. Despite his actions and methods, Dumbledore strove to protect this world." Finished, Harry lowered his head and the others followed suit as they contemplated the lives lost today.

"Are there any questions before we move on to the first item on the agenda?" Harry asked.

There were a series of question about details of the two trials. Amelia took those questions as she was most knowledgeable on the legal side of the day's events as well as the actual trials themselves. At different points, Harry added his perspective. The Order got a laugh when they heard about Fudge's testimony and that he had damned himself.

When the questions started to pertain to the attack on the courtroom, Harry and Seraph took over for Amelia. Harry repeated his explanation of Acheron while Hunter provided a more concise understanding of Balefire than Harry had given to Amelia earlier in the day. Seraph provided his opinion on the Death Eaters themselves.

"They appear to have little organization. They just barged into the courtroom and opened fire. There was no strategy or tactics behind their attacks. It seemed more like a mob with a singular goal than a organized fighting unit. Is that their normal fighting style?"

Moody having the most experience responded to that question. He detailed the types of attacks that were typically executed by the Death Eaters and their favorite targets. Based on what he had seen in the pensieve, they followed their usual M.O. and had gone after two high profile targets, in this case Dumbledore and Amelia while the rest simply focused on causing mass panic. Their only real advantage in battle comes from their willingness to use the Unforgivables and in particular the killing curse.

Amelia looked foreboding as she gave her perspective "We may not use the Unforgivables, but I expect that my Aurors and the members of the Order to use whatever means necessary to put the Death Eaters down in a manner that keeps them from getting back up seconds later." Pausing briefly to let that bit of news sink in she went on "The standing orders for the Aurors will be to shoot to kill any Death Eaters. We are only doing a disservice to the public the longer we play around and let this situation continue. Too many people died today, this can't be allowed anymore!" She finished hotly, eyes flashing and hands clenched tightly around a tea cup.

Jones and Tonks in particular were surprised to hear this. There had been a lot of disagreements in the Auror ranks regarding the return of Voldemort and how to deal with the Death Eaters if he was back. Shacklebolt was happy with Amelia's announcement, he felt that the Aurors had been ineffective during the first war, it was part of the reason he had joined the Order of the Phoenix in the first place.

The announcement received mixed reactions from the rest of the group. In general, the younger members were more supportive of the action while the older members such as Arthur and Molly Weasley were more reluctant to use lethal force except as a last resort.

Harry decided that it was a good time to discuss the next steps with the Ministry. After receiving a nod from Amelia, Harry passed around the badges that she had given him earlier in the day. Any member of the Order that was not already an Auror now had the full authority to act as an Auror. Amelia took the opportunity to explain the penalties for abusing the privilege before allowing Harry to move onto the next topic for the evening.

"Arthur and Victor you have been looking at potential candidates to fill in as Minister of Magic until the next election. What have you found?" Harry asked and returned to his seat.

Arthur and Victor followed Harry's example and stood while there were giving their report. They had identified three potential candidates. Amelia had already refused to serve as Minister. She felt that she would be more effective continuing in her position as head of the DMLE.

The first candidate took many in the room by surprise when Victor said their first choice would be Rosaline Zabini. She came from an ancient Pure Blood family that had never sworn itself to Voldemort. Despite the fact that they had similarly never supported Dumbledore, which some in the room found to be a selling point, the Zabini family tended to support positive changes to the laws controlling the lives of dark creatures, goblins and elves. Rosaline was a pragmatist and a highly successful businesswoman in both the wizarding and muggle worlds. Voldemort would be a highly destabilizing factor and negatively impact the family's business ventures. Because they were viewed as neutral, she would have better chances at garnering support from the darker families as well as the light families.

The second candidate was Amos Diggory. He had risen through the ranks of the Ministry and after the death of his son this past June had a major reason to fight back against Voldemort. While he had great political instincts, he would not have as much of a rallying effect on the masses as someone like Rosaline. Despite his devotion to the Light, he was likely to oppose easing many of the restrictions on the dark creatures thus forcing them to be neutral or worse to join Voldemort's camp.

The last candidate was Samuel Croaker. He was the former head of the Unspeakables. Croaker would take a very hard line with the Death Eaters. Most likely, he would declare the wizarding version of martial law until the war was complete. While that was not necessarily the wrong approach, not everyone was comfortable with giving that kind of authority to someone. In regards to the dark creatures, he could go either way. He would either give them the same rights as any other witch or wizard or he would go to the opposite end of the spectrum and order their extermination in the name of security. Of the three candidates, he represented the greatest unknown.

When their report was complete, Arthur and Victor returned to their seats to answer questions and participate in the discussion regarding the three candidates. Unsurprisingly, Remus was in support of Rosaline Zabini. As a werewolf he had faced discrimination for much of his life and had worked to obtain equal rights for all dark creatures. Bill, Charlie and Sirius were also in agreement with Remus because the experiences from their work at Gringotts or the Dragon Preserve. Harry was also supportive of Rosaline for other reasons, he argued that she would be a good bridge between the wizarding and muggle worlds and could be effective in opening the wizarding society up to future integration with the muggle world and instituting other needed changes.

Seraph and Moody were more supportive of Croaker. Despite the risks in the vagueness of some of his positions, it appeared that he would be the most aggressive in taking on the Death Eaters and destroying their infrastructure after Voldemort was defeated. Shacklebolt and Jones were in agreement.

Molly and Arthur were supporting Diggory. They did not feel comfortable supporting Rosaline since she had never openly sided with Dumbledore or the Light and they were not comfortable with the aggressive tactics that would most likely be utilized if Croaker were the Minister.

Everyone else was sitting on the fence. Discussion went on for another 30 minutes before they finally called a vote. In the end it was decided that Rosaline Zabini would be approached to run for the position. If she refused, then Croaker was their second choice.

With the Ministry matters decided for the moment, Harry asked for an update on the research projects.

Hunter took over the meeting at this point. He explained that his team had made the most progress on researching different fire arms and which type was appropriate for different types of situations. He asked Hermione to go into greater detail.

Hermione, in her element as she took on a lecturing tone, stood and began to describe the difference between handguns and rifles. Many of the wizards in the room were Pure Bloods and have never seen or fired a gun before. After making sure that the chamber and clip were empty, she passed around a 9mm Sig-Sauer Pro so that people could get a feel for the size and weight. These are best used in close quarters because their stopping power and accuracy fall off sharply as the distance increased.

The second type of gun they were looking at were rifles. So far, they had mainly looked at hunting rifles which had a longer range and did more damage than the handguns, but were best used from stationary positions. Passing around an empty rifle, she explained that they would be ideal for setting up an ambush or being used in the defense of a fortified position such as Grimmauld Place.

Hermione went on to explain that the bullets seemed to penetrate the standard _Protego _and the Auror shields with little problem. Practice was critical to achieve any sort of consistent firing accuracy. Some of the members added their own experiences. Remus and Victor were both familiar with rifles and had used them for recreation in the past.

Hunter progressed to the next research topic. His team had not made much progress in identifying the optimal body armor just yet. The dragon armor that Sirius and Harry had purchased was not due to arrive for another week or so. Until that time, his team had been working on identifying the different types of muggle body armor that they would purchase.

It appeared that there were two main types of armor. The first type was Kevlar body armor It was mainly used to protect the torso but additional pieces could be purchased to protect the arms and legs. Based on the documentation they had read, the body armor was very effective at stopping bullets and piercing attacks such as knives. Until they had examples to conduct tests with, they would not know its effectiveness against spells. The second type was Kevlar with a layer of Nomex that provided greater protection from heat and fire. It allowed the armor to withstand incredibly high temperatures while not affecting the protections offered by the Kevlar layer.

Orders had been placed that day for multiple sets of both types of armor so that the research team could conduct field tests to see how it reacted to different types of spells. One advantage held by the muggle body was that it was easily concealable underneath clothing. So if it was able to provide protection from different spells, the Death Eaters would not know the reason.

The last item that Hunter wanted to discuss was a new research topic for his team.

"We need to find a way to incorporate muggle communication technology into a magic environment. I understand from Hermione and Ron that electronics do not function in a heavily magical environment." Hunter stated.

Despite his love of muggle gadgets, Arthur never really saw them as necessities and asked "What is wrong with the floo or owls?"

"Those are fine; however, in a combat situation you don't have time to write a note or find a nearby fireplace." Hunter stopped for a moment and he rifled around in one of his pockets finally removing a small cell phone. Holding it up he explained "This is a cell phone, it allows muggles to communicate to virtually anywhere on the planet instantaneously. Having the best and most accurate information can make the difference in a battle where the odds are otherwise even."

People began speaking excitedly at the possibilities offered by the simple device. It began to dawn on them that perhaps magic was more of a crutch at times than a benefit. The muggles didn't have magic at their disposal and they had accomplished incredible things such as airplanes and landing a man on the moon.

Groaning loudly in dismay, Molly said "I can't believe I am suggesting this but you should speak with the twins. Lord knows they are creative enough. With the amount of energy they have spent on coming up with jokes and pranks they may very well be able to figure out a way to get these to work in a magical environment."

Everybody jumped when they heard a crash outside the doors. Hunter strode over to the door and jerked it open only to have Fred and George tumble into the room. Looking at everyone a little sheepishly they tried to explain that they were just wondering where Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had run off to.

Arthur held up a hand to stop Molly from shouting at them and said "If you are going to help, you need to take this seriously. Something like this could make a big difference in the war against Voldemort."

Grinning like madmen, Fred and George stood up. Fred stated "Actually we have…"

"Already started researching something similar…"

"To let kids us CD Players and other things …."

"In Hogwarts, so we have some ideas on how to proceed." George finished.

Hunter just stared at them for a moment before muttering to himself as he returned to his seat.

Seraph stood up after seeing that Hunter had no further topics for discussion. He had two main points to discuss recruitment and the training schedule.

"Now that Voldemort is out in the open, we are going to need more people in addition to the forces already fighting for the Ministry. Everyone needs to be on the lookout for new recruits that we can bring in." Seraph went on, looking specifically at the kids "Kids, this includes you. If possible, we would like to build a network of students in Hogwarts. Based on what Harry has told me, it is clear that Voldemort already has his tendrils in the school, you will need to be a balancing force to give the students another option."

Ron in particular sat up straighter in his chair at Seraph's words. He would have an important role to play. Research was fine for Hermione, but Ron wanted to be doing something, out there fighting if possible.

"Amelia other than the Aurors that are already members of the Order, I would suggest we don't look to recruit further for your organization. Instead, I suggest we share intelligence and plan joint operations that can leverage the strengths of both groups."

Nodding quickly, Amelia was unable to mask the brief look of relief at Seraph's idea. Despite the authority she had given to the Order, it still remained a vigilante group and she was not happy with the idea of more of her Aurors splitting their time and loyalty between the two groups. She rationalized that Tonks, Jones, and Shacklebolt were liaisons between the Order and the DMLE.

Seeing that there were no further comments or points to be made regarding recruiting future members, Seraph moved into the training schedules. He passed around sheets of paper with the names of all the current members and when they would be expected to show up at the headquarters for physical fitness, combat and magic training. There were many groans at the mention of physical fitness including one particularly loud groan from Hunter which prompted a lot of laughter from Harry and Seraph.

Finally, Harry stood again. "The last item on the agenda for this evening is the establishment of a secondary HQ should something happen to this one. With Dumbledore dead, the Fidelius on Grimmauld Place has fallen. We have hired the goblins to re-ward the house including a new Fidelius charm. Unfortunately, the work will not begin until September 2nd. Until then, we are vulnerable here. Therefore, I have opened one of the Potter Mansions as the secondary HQ. It is located in the countryside outside of Cardiff in Wales."

_Flashback_

_**August 25th, 1995**_

_**Cardiff, Wales**_

_Sirius, Remus, Hunter, Seraph and Harry apparated to the coordinates provided on the property deed that Harry had retrieved from his vault. They weren't really sure what to expect. Sirius and Remus had never heard of this particular property from James so he may not have been aware of it._

_Arriving in the middle of a wide open field, the five men took a few minutes to look around. Directly in front of them were what appeared to be the ruins of a large stone manor. Surrounding the manor were the remains of gardens that had long since been overgrown by weeds and wild flowers. A stream could be seen running through towards the rear of the manor and large groves of trees could be seen in virtually every direction._

_Harry approached the manner while the other four hung back waiting to see what would happen. He pulled a sheet of paper out of his pockets and read it aloud. "I, Harry James Potter, son of James Thomas Potter do lay claim to the ancient abode of Potter. I ask leave to enter and assume my rightful ownership as heir to the Potter name and bloodline."_

_Magic flashed and surrounded Harry in a coruscating aura. The house was judging his worthiness. While Harry was certainly the Potter heir, he no longer had magic so they were not sure how the house would react to his claim. Eventually the aura faded after a few moments._

_Then the image of the manor wavered in front of them in the same way that heat shimmers of the road in the summer. Replacing the ruins of manor, the true manor appeared. It was a magnificent structure composed of light grey stone. While it was clearly ancient, its style reflected a different era of architecture with arches and delicate carvings dotting the structure. The main doors were easily 8' high and were a deep brown almost black wood that glistened in the afternoon sun._

_Waiting a moment for the other four to join him, they entered the manor to find a large entrance hall filled with portraits of his ancestors and with the Potter Crest inlaid into the center of the floor. Before they could get more than 10' into the room, a man about their age entered the room to greet them. He was dressed in midnight blue robes with light blue pants and a tunic with the Potter Crest on the chest. "My Lord Potter, finally you have returned to us." He said as he bowed deeply to Harry._

"_I am sorry, but who are you?"_

"_My Lord, I am Thomas Renther. My family swore to serve the Potter line over 1,000 years ago. My family and I live on the grounds. When you claimed your rights, we were notified by the manor that the Potter Heir had returned to us." He was clearly happy at the development even if Harry and the rest were totally lost._

"_What do you mean your family swore to serve the Potter line?" Harry asked._

_Thomas explained that over 1,000 years ago his family had been minor nobles and were involved in a conflict with other nobles of the time. One of their allies had betrayed them and during a key battle, killed the head of their family. The Potters who had been neutral in the conflict stepped in a rescued the remaining family, vowing to protect them from further treachery. While the Potter family was strong, it was not strong enough to stand alone in the conflict and so they risked much by rescuing the Renther family. For over a year, the Potter Manor was under siege until finally they were able to secure the alliance of the goblins and elves. With the combined might of these races, the Potters were able to defeat the forces arrayed against them. In return for their selfless defense of my family, we pledged to serve the Potter line as long as it exists._

_Harry was floored by the story. For the first time, he truly realized what it meant to be a Potter. Even though he had stopped asking "why me?" years ago, he now knew the answer. It was because his family was willing to put itself at risk for the sake of others._

_Regaining his voice Harry introduced his companions "Thomas these are my friends Remus, Seraph, Hunter and Sirius." _

"_It is a pleasure to meet you. Will you be staying my Lord?"_

_Grimacing at the title, Harry responded "No, but we will be returning. Is it possible for you to give us a tour of the manor and the grounds?"_

"_Of course, it is no trouble."_

_They spent the rest of the day touring the estate. If it had been located closer to London, they would have scrapped Grimmauld Place immediately. The manor had 10 bedrooms and included a fully stocked potions lab, dueling chamber and number of empty chambers that could be put to use. Harry asked Thomas to order a great deal of exercise equipment and weights that would be used during their training sessions. He also asked that an infirmary be setup and stocked with the standard potions and salves._

_Thomas was thrilled to have a Potter back in the Manor. He told them it would take a few weeks to complete the preparations and setup of the infirmary and exercise room. Harry gave him the information for his Barclay's account since he had closed out his Gringotts account._

_Before they left, Harry explained what they were doing and that more people would eventually be joining them in the Manor. Promising that they would return soon, Harry and his friends opened a portal back to Grimmauld Place._

_End Flashback_

**Voldemort's Hideout, Wales**

Voldemort had summoned his Death Eaters to discuss the events of the raid against the Ministry. The Death Eaters arrived and one by one the proceeded to bow and kiss the hem of Voldemort's robes. Each one took a surreptitious glance at the stranger standing by Voldemort's side.

"My loyal followers, today we have struck a great blow against the forces of the Light. Albus Dumbledore is dead. He was slain by you my loyal Death Eaters. Without Dumbledore's influence, the Light's forces will be in disarray, we will be able to sweep aside the Ministry and the Order. Voldemort continued after a brief pause while the Death Eaters chattered excitedly "I would like to introduce our new ally. His name is Acheron and he brings with him a powerful new magic that will secure our victory over the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix."

Lucius Malfoy stepped forward and asked "My Lord, are you sure he can be trusted? He does not sound like he is from any Pure Blood family I am familiar with. Why should we need the help of this filth?"

Face contorted in rage, eyes flashing a deep crimson red Voldemort roared "_Crucio!"_ The spell struck Lucius in the chest and he immediately collapsed to the ground writhing in incredible pain while the other Death Eaters looked on with glee. Not many liked Malfoy, he was constantly bragging about his superiority. So many of the Death Eaters were happy to see him taken down a peg.

Voldemort eventually released the spell when Malfoy started to foam at the mouth. "How dare you question me!"

Acheron decided he needed to prove his power to these people and stepped forward "Voldemort, do you need this one?" He was clearly looking to Malfoy when he asked the question.

Thinking over the answer for the briefest of seconds, Voldemort answered "No I do not. Feel free to make an example of him."

A grim smile spread across Acheron's face as he opened himself to Saidin and once again shot a thin bar of Balefire at Malfoy. He deliberately kept the power level low so Malfoy's death would be more dramatic. His body appeared to fade in and out of existence for a few seconds before simply disappearing, leaving nothing behind. The demonstration complete, Acheron returned to his spot next to Voldemort without another word.

Voldemort nodded in approval at the sight. The other Death Eaters had never seen a display of magic like that and were looking at each other somewhat nervously. "Snape! Step forward now." Voldemort ordered.

Snape took a tentative step forward into view of Voldemort. "For many years now, you have been betraying my secrets to Dumbledore and his ridiculous Order of the Phoenix. I give you one chance to save your own skin and prove your worth to me."

Almost sagging in relief that he wasn't a condemned man just yet, Snape knelt and said fervently "Anything my Lord. I am your humble servant and will never stray again."

"Yes, I thought that would be your answer. So, tell me where is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix located?"

Snape realized that the Fidelius must have fallen with Dumbledore's death because he could now answer. Thinking of Potter and how he had been humiliated by him the previous week, Snape said maliciously "They are located at #12 Grimmauld Place in London my Lord."

"Excellent, then tomorrow night you will lead a strike to capture or destroy Grimmauld Place. You may take up to 20 men with you. Do not fail me in this."

"I won't my lord." Snape said his head bobbing up and down quickly.

"Oh and Snape before you go, _Crucio!_" Voldemort cast the spell for the second time that night. As with Malfoy, Snape sank to the floor trying to contain his screams of pain which quickly broke though and echoed off the walls of the chanber.

"That is for betraying me to Dumbledore. If you ever betray me again, you will be begging me to kill you."

Snape was unable to respond, he just stayed on the floor twitching occasionally in pain before passing out.

**September 1st, 1995**

_**Grimmauld Place**_

It was getting late. Many of the Research team had left but there were still a few people hanging around the house. Hermione was in library working on the background research on the different muggle body armor. This was Hermione's last night since she would be starting her 5th year tomorrow. She had gotten permission to help out on the weekends and someone would make sure she and Ron had a portkey to use. Hunter and Remus were also in the library researching different topics. Hunter was looking for any references to the portal stones and Remus was reviewing manuals on Occlumency and Legilimency.

Sirius, Seraph, and Hestia were in the dueling room in the basement practicing off to one side. In the other half of the room, Harry and Victor Harris were working with Ron. They had just finished taking Ron through his first endurance and strength exercises. The three were sweaty but Ron was virtually exhausted not being used to heavy exercise.

Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, Ron glared at his friend "You want me to do this everyday? What good will it do me?"

Harry laughed softly and shared a look with Victor who as an Unspeakable understood the value of being physically fit. "Ron being fit will help you in lots of way. You will probably be able use more magic without getting tired and who knows it may even help with quidditch."

Victor added "If you are serious about being Auror, then physical fitness will be critical for your success and a long career. I am sure Hestia or Moody would tell you the same thing."

"Come on let's head back upstairs and get something to eat." Harry smirked as he saw Ron's face brighten up at the suggestion. "You know, you will need to keep up your exercises while you are at Hogwarts. Perhaps you can just focus on running and we will leave the weight training for the weekends." Ron's face fell as fast as it had brightened up. He had hoped to avoid working out once he was at Hogwarts.

Shortly after arriving in the kitchen, an alarm similar to the buzz from a muggle alarm clock started to blare loudly throughout the house. Sirius charged up the stairs followed by Seraph and Hestia. He explained that someone must be trying to penetrate the wards of the house. With Dumbledore dead, the Fidelius had fallen and the goblins were not scheduled to re-ward the house until the next day. It could only mean that someone had given up the location to Voldemort once the Fidelius had fallen.

"Is there a way to see who is outside without giving our position away?" Seraph asked.

"Yes, the windows on the third floor are spelled so that you can look out but no one can look in." Sirius replied quickly. Just as he finished, Hunter, Remus and Hermione found them in the kitchen.

Hunter, confusion plainly evident on his face, was about to ask a question when Harry cut him off "Remus I need you and Victor to go to the third floor and see if you can identify who is trying to take down the wards." Remus and Victor both took off, running out of the room and up the stairs to find out who was outside.

"Harry, what can I do?" Hermione asked. Her eyes were a little wider than normal and she was pale from nervousness, but she still needed to be doing something.

"Hermione, I need you Hunter and Ron to start getting everything you can to the secondary HQ in Cardiff. You should start with the library and move on from the there. Hunter can keep a portal open and you can just cart stuff through."

Remus came charging back into the room huffing slightly from the exertion. "Death Eaters, it looks like there are close to 20 of them spread out on the street in front of the house."

Sirius saw that Hunter, Hermione and Ron were still in the room. He shouted, breaking them from their daze "Go! If there are that many out there it won't take long to break through the wards and we won't be able to hold them off."

Startled, Hunter just grabbed Hermione and Ron and left the room to begin their task.

Seraph asked "Sirius, how long do we have until the wards fall?"

"I'm not sure it all depends on how many they have on working to bring them down. I wouldn't bet on anything more than 10 minutes though."

Harry was thinking "I know we haven't had much practice, but Remus can you and Victor take any of them out with the rifles that we have?" Seeing Remus' reluctant nod, he went on "There are not enough of us to take them all on Remus. Work with Victor, take out who you can and then get to Cardiff."

Hestia asked while fingering her wand "What about us? What are we going to do?"

"You, Seraph, Sirius and I will take the fight to them. Hopefully, we can distract them long enough that Hunter can get everything to Cardiff."

Seraph added "Come on, we can get an idea of their positions from the 3rd floor and open a portal up there."

The five quickly jogged back up to the third floor. Remus only stopped to pick up two rifles and ammunition that were in a storage closet on the 2nd floor. Harry explained to the plan to Victor.

There was an alley across the street from the front door. They could see that there were a couple of commercial trash dumpsters on either side that could be used for cover. Seraph and Harry would try and get close to the Death Eaters while Hestia and Sirius provided cover fire.

"Remus, Victor once we close the portal, take out as many as you can and then help Hunter get as much evacuated to Cardiff as possible." Harry finished. He opened a portal to the back of the alley that was just visible from the windows and the four of the crept through, letting it close behind them once they were in position.

Harry was about to advance when Seraph grabbed his arm to stop him and whispered. "Wait until Victor and Remus open fire. We can take advantage of the surprise attack then."

Victor saw that they were in position and began to take careful aim through the glass of the window. They could not afford to open them for fear of giving themselves away. After giving his target to Remus so that there was no chance of doubling up, he counted down "On three, 1…2…3!" Two shots and the sound of shattered glass ripped through the quiet of the night. Neighbors' lights were turned as the sounds of battle echoed across the neighborhood.

From Harry's position he could hear rather than see the two gun shots but he did witness the results. One Death Eater was thrown back 3 feet as the bullet tore into his chest and he landed hard on the pavement. Blood was blossoming on his robes and was pooling onto the street. The second Death Eater collapsed where he stood, the back of his skull blown out by the impact of the shot to his face.

The Death Eaters panicked and began running around frantically at the sight of two of their number being killed before their eyes by an unknown force. Before anyone took charge of the situation, two more shots rang out. The first bullet smashed into the pavement near one, throwing up bits of stone. The second bullet rammed through the right shoulder of another Death Eater and severed an artery in the process. He screamed out, grabbing at the wound in a futile effort to stem the bleeding.

Another Death Eater reacting more rationally than the others and sounding suspiciously like Severus Snape caught sight of Remus and Victor in the 3rd floor windows. _Avada Kedavra _he yelled out. The neon green curse was off target and blew a piece of the window sill into Victor but otherwise left him unhurt. Other Death Eaters following his line of sight cast their own spells. Another _Avada Kedavra_ flew towards Victor. This one was aimed better and caught the man in his face, killing him instantly. More _Avada Kedavra_s and a _Reducto_ flew towards Remus.

Harry leapt into action when the Death Eaters started firing spells at the house. He opened himself to Saidin and channeled as he started to move towards the nearest Death Eater. Weaving earth and fire he detonated the street underneath a group of three Death Eaters throwing them to pavement and showering the resting with stone fragments and fire. Channeling again as he ran, he threw a fireball the size of his fist at one Death Eater only to see it impact against another home, igniting a portion of the wall when the man dodged out of the way. Harry used fire again, this time creating a sheet of fire 3 feet wide and shooting it at the Death Eaters. Most were able to dodge out of the way, but one man was immolated. Finally with his sword drawn he slipped into Lightning Strikes the Field form and tore into his original target severing the man's hand before shifting into Parting the Silk and running the man through the chest.

Remus having ducked out of the window after his second shot and watched as the myriad of spells blasted holes into the window and rear wall. He grabbed a hold of Victor's body and carried him to the second floor to go to Cardiff through Hunter's portal. He didn't want to leave the body of his friend behind, Victor deserved a proper burial.

Seraph drew his sword and advanced on a Death Eater. Little skill was needed for the first kill. The man never even turned as Seraph swept his sword through the men's neck and allowed the body to topple forward as the head rolled free. The second kill was not so easy.

Two Death Eaters turned at the sight of their comrade collapsing to the street headless. Catching sight of Seraph they both fired the _Avada Kedavra_ only to see Seraph dance out of the way and move closer to them. Spinning, he moved into Boar Charging through the Forest opening a deep gash running diagonally down the Death Eater's torso from his shoulder to his groin. The man struggled frantically to hold in his intestines which were spilling out. Not wasting any more time on the dying man, Seraph moved on the next Death Eater.

Sirius and Hestia were providing cover fire for Harry and Seraph. Each was hiding behind a garbage dumpster. Hestia was threw a _Reducto _at a Death Eater fighting Seraph blowing his head apart while Sirius cast _Diffindo _at a Death Eater that was aiming at Harry's back. The spell caught him in the neck severing his jugular. His hands flew to his neck but he bled out and fell to the pavement before he could portkey away.

Other Death Eaters seeing spells coming from the alley fired a series of blasting hexes and _Percussios. _Most of the spells went sailing past Sirius and Hestia blasting away parts of the alley. Fragments of stone covered the ground. One blasting hex struck the wall near Hestia. Already weakened by the other blasting hexes, it collapsed outward into the alley, crushing her underneath the debris.

Harry was no longer trying to take Death Eaters down, he could only focus on dodging the spells he could and blocking those he couldn't. Rolling to the right to avoid a string of _Avada Kedavras_ he wove the deep blue shield that provided the greatest protection. The dome shattered a moment later from the impact of another _Avada Kedavra_. As he was standing to dive out of the way, he was hit on his right leg by the bludgeoning hex which managed to fracture his femur. He leg crumpled and he crashed to the ground getting hit by a _Diffindo_ on his left arm, cutting through the bicep to hit the bone underneath. An _Incendio_ hit the same arm a second later burning away his shirt sleeve and roasting the skin underneath. Harry was struggling not to pass out but he was losing blood and blackness was engulfing him.

Police sirens could be heard now and the light from their headlights could be seen reflecting off of the windows of nearby homes. Neighbors awakened by the sounds of the battle had called the police.

Harry's scream of pain alerted Sirius. He rushed from his position in the alley towards Harry while firing spell after spell at Harry's attackers. The nearby Death Eaters were driven back by the intensity of his spells. A _Reducto_ caught one in the stomach, blasting into him a leaving a gaping hole in his abdomen. Another caught a Death Eater in the arm, shattering it, but doing little to prevent a counter-attack which would come quickly. Finally reaching Harry, he took a second to note that he had passed out. Casting _Protego Maximo_ he set about defending Harry for as long as possible.

Seraph saw Harry go down and scrambled trying to reach him, but there were too many Death Eaters between them. Then, Seraph remembered the flash-bang from his training session with Harry. Channeling he wove muffles from air for his ears and eyes, and created the flash bang from earth, and filled it with weaves of spirit, air, fire, and water. Not wanting to take a chance of giving away the element of surprise by alerting Sirius, he threw the sphere to street. As the sphere broke, the energy inside burst outward in a blinding flash of white light and an explosion of sound that shattered nearby windows and echoed for blocks.

The blast stunned everybody but Seraph. The Death Eaters and Sirius collapsed screaming at the blinding light and deafening sound. Seraph taking advantage of the lull in fighting moved towards Harry and Sirius.

Seraph could only hope that Hunter was able to get everyone out of the house. He opened a portal to Cardiff and wove a stretcher for Harry and brought him through. Going back, he grabbed Sirius by the arm and dragged the man through the portal and let it close behind him.

While the portal was closing, three police cars pulled up to the scene. Bodies were strewn about, of the 18 Death Eaters that had attacked the house, 8 were still alive and in fighting condition. Shaking off the effects of the flash bang, one Death Eater managed to point his wand at a policeman to cast _Avada Kedavra_. The police saw the threatening movement and opened fire, hitting the man in the chest 3 times before he was able to fall. The remaining Death Eaters watched their comrade die at the hands of the muggles and portkeyed away, leaving behind the bodies of 12 men.

**10 minutes earlier**

Inside the house, Hunter, Ron and Hermione were working frantically to get everything they could to Cardiff before the Death Eaters managed to break in. Hermione was working on transferring the library and anything else of value on the 2nd floor. Ron was working on the 3rd floor while Hunter was clearing out anything of value from the training room and first floor.

Hermione was just picking up a stack of books when the 2 rifle shots rang out. She jumped at the sound and dropped the books only to knock the stock over again when another 2 shots were fired. Losing her nerve, she grabbed the books and ran through the portal. She looked back at the open portal after dropping off the books. There were still a lot more to get but her whole body was shaking and she was afraid. Harry was always with her before when they were facing life and death situations and now she was alone. Then she thought of what Harry was doing right now, he and the others were risking their lives so that she could have time to get everything important or dangerous to Cardiff. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, she ran back through the portal to continue her job.

Hunter ran downstairs to the meeting room and began collecting everything he could find. They couldn't afford to leave any of their plans behind. Weaving earth to create a box, he started loading everything in. When the room was emptied of everything of value, he wove air to lift the box and dragged it behind him as he moved into the next room to repeat the process. He only stopped when he heard the first gunshots ring out. Wishing briefly that he was outside fighting, he knew he was most valuable in here making sure everything was saved and moved. With a heavy sigh, he finished up the room and moved onto the training room with two containers now being dragged behind him.

Ron's face was red as ran up to the 3rd floor and began to collect everything. It was mostly bedrooms so he was collecting clothes and personal items. Why couldn't he be out there with Harry, he had been there to go after the Sorcerer's stone in the first year and to help rescue Ginny in their second year. Hell, he got a broken leg when he fought with Sirius and Pettigrew their third year. Now, he wasn't old enough to help out anymore.

He had just finished his run when he heard Victor say "3" and then there were two gun shots. Ron stood in the doorway and watched as the fired again, jumping a little at the sound. Again he was thinking, I could be doing that. Instead I am packing Harry's clothes. While he stood there, he saw the window sill explode in front of Victor and before he could move, Victor was hit in the face with an _Avada Kedavra _and dropped to the floor dead. Ron just stood there staring at Victor's eyes which were open and empty until Remus started yelling at Ron to help him get Victor's body downstairs.

By the time that the police arrive and the surviving Death Eaters had fled, Hunter, Ron, Remus and Hermione had finished emptying out Grimmauld Place. Taking a last look around, they stepped through the portal to Cardiff and Hunter let it close behind them.

**Cardiff, Wales**

Remus was wandering around looking for a drink. He needed something to calm his nerves. As he entered the next room, which was largely empty except for a fireplace, he was almost run over by Sirius. He tried to grab Sirius who just shook him off and lit the fireplace with a quick _Incendio_ and threw some floo powder in. "Hogwarts Headmaster's Office!" He shouted. In a flash of emerald green fire, Sirius was gone.

Seraph called out "Sirius!"

Remus followed the sound of his voice and found Seraph and Thomas sitting next to an unconscious Harry. "Oh my god, what happened? He's not …" He couldn't bring himself to say it as a lump formed in his throat.

Looking up with grave eyes, Seraph replied "No, but needs help soon if he's going to make it. Sirius went to Hogwarts to get that healer. I just hope he gets back in time."

**A/N: This chapter was much easier to write now that I didn't have any more court scenes and consequently I was able to update sooner.**

**As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. Ideas, comments, criticism are always welcome.**


	11. The Fallen Shroud

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter or Wheel of Time.**

**Chapter 10:** **The Fallen Shroud**

**September 1st, 1995**

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry**_

Minerva was sitting at her desk in her new office. It still didn't feel right. Albus should be here welcoming the new students not her. He was as much a part of this school as quidditch. With Voldemort's return, she wasn't sure if the school would remain open now that Albus was dead, she just couldn't protect the children in the same way as Albus could. A number of parents had already sent their children to other schools like Beauxbatons or Durmstrang.

Suddenly, the fireplace in her office roared to life with an emerald green flame and Sirius Black came tumbling out of the fire and into her office. "Sirius Black, what is the meaning of this? Why have you come barging into my office?" Truth be told, she was still upset that Sirius and Harry would bring criminal charges against Albus, but she didn't know the whole story so she would keep her tongue until then. The newspapers had only printed the charges against Albus as most of the evidence would be presented at the trial. With the attack, his testimony had been pushed to the background.

"No time! Where is Poppy? Harry is hurt bad, she needs to come back with me now."

"What are you talking about? When did Harry get hurt?" Minerva was trying to get a handle on the situation. She was very confused at the moment.

"There was a Death Eater attack on Grimmauld. Harry was wounded badly!" Sirius said in a rush. Then grabbing floo powder, he fire called Poppy in the infirmary. "Poppy! Poppy are you there?" Sirius was close to panic now.

Poppy heard someone screaming her name and ran into the infirmary from her office to find Sirius' face calling to her from the fireplace. "Yes, yes I am here. What do you need that has you shouting loud enough to wake the dead?" She asked with some asperity.

"Poppy, Harry is hurt badly. You need to need grab everything you will need and come to the Headmaster's office. I will take you to the Manor. Please hurry Poppy I think he is dying." Sirius was pleading with her at the end, just trying to keep it together.

Poppy knew Sirius would not be acting this way without a good reason so she began rushing around the infirmary grabbing different potions that she may need and stuffed them into her black satchel. Pain relievers, blood replenishers, skelegrow, post-crutiatus, anything she could think of got stuffed into the satchel. After almost 10 minutes of packing, she was ready to go.

Throwing some floo powder into the fireplace she disappeared in a burst of emerald green flame and calling out Hogwarts Headmaster's Office. After she arrived, she took one look at Sirius and rummaged through her satchel to find a Calming potion and handed it to Sirius.

He took it without question and visibly relaxed as the potion took effect. Just before he grabbed some floo powder, he told Minerva that they would send Ron and Hermione through later tonight. With a cry of "Potter Ancestral Manor" Poppy and Sirius disappeared leaving a thoroughly bewildered Minerva alone in her office.

_**Potter Ancestral Manor, Cardiff Wales**_

Seraph and Hunter were pacing around the room waiting for Sirius to get back. Neither of them could bear to sit or stand in one place. Nor were they any good at Healing. Harry was the best of the three and the most he could reliably do was a quick health scan. Hunter kept finding his eyes drawn back to Harry as much as he tried not looking at his friend. He looked awful lying there in that bed pale and bleeding from the burns and cut to his arm. Hunter couldn't help but think this shouldn't be happening. They should be back in their time where there were people that could tend to his injuries with no problem.

Seraph was feeling useless right now. He wanted to be doing something for Harry, but there was nothing he could do but wait. Seraph sat down in a chair next to the bed for the third time only to stand up again a minute later. Nervous energy was coursing through him as he worried about his friend. The bandage on Harry's arm caught his attention. It was soaking through again; it was now a glistening red. Swearing softly to himself, he went to grab some more bandages, at least this gave him something to do.

Remus just sat next to the bed watching Harry or staring off into space. Occasionally he would push Harry's hair back from his face like he was a little kid again. Guilt was eating at him as he thought about Harry's childhood with the Dursleys. He should have done something, even if he couldn't have raised him because of the werewolf laws, he could have checked on him. Instead he blindly trusted Dumbledore that everything was ok. A low growl issued from his throat as his thoughts turned to all that Dumbledore had cost him and his family.

Thomas had left the room shortly after Remus arrived. He was doing his best to keep Ron and Hermione occupied. They were presently in the library putting the books that Hermione had brought into some semblance of order. Every so often though, Thomas would glance towards the direction where Harry was being kept. Ron was getting frustrated, he knew Harry was injured and he wanted to seem him.

Thomas, sensing that Ron was about to leave the room said "Please, stay here. You will only be in the way right now."

"I'm his friend, why shouldn't I be in there with him?" Ron said hotly.

"Because right now you can do more good by helping Hermione and I put this stuff away. Until Sirius gets back with a healer, there is nothing that anyone here can do."

Ron opened his mouth to say something else but Thomas cut him off "You can't be involved in everything with Harry regardless if you are his friend or not. He is older than you are. He has more experience with fighting and war than you do. You need to grow up and learn that you can't always have your way despite how much you may want it!"

Ron's face had gone impossibly red by the time Thomas finished. "I was old enough to help him when he needed it before!" Ron shouted.

"He wasn't killing people before. You are 15! You have no business fighting in this war. You don't have the experience, the skill or the power and until you do, you will be more of a liability than an asset. If you want to be treated like an adult, you are going to have to start acting like one first." Thomas said in a cold voice.

Ron was seething but he didn't know what to say. Finally, he just turned away and started throwing books on the shelves. How dare he say I am not good enough to be fighting! Why should Harry get to fight just because he is older? Everything always happened to Harry, and now he was even head of the Order of the Phoenix. Ron's thoughts continued to spiral to darker topics as he slammed more books onto the book shelves. It never occurred to him that without Harry at Hogwarts he would have an opportunity to step into the spotlight and show everyone his worth.

Hermione had been listening to the conversation as she continued to put the books away. Like Ron, she wanted to see Harry, but recognized a futile battle when she saw one. Instead she was focusing on other things to take he mind off her worries. Unlike Ron, she recognized that her relationship with Harry would never be the same. There was no way it could be, he was 22 years older than she was now. It didn't make it hurt any less to see her how close Harry was with Hunter and Seraph. A lone tear ran down her cheek as she came to understand that Harry didn't belong here anymore. He truly did belong in the future now. He had told them from the beginning that he was not going to stay and Hermione had always thought he would change his mind. Now she realized that her best friend was gone and he had much stronger ties to the future with the family and friends that had accepted him as Harry and not as the Boy-Who-Lived. With that understanding came new determination. Hermione would do everything she could to help make sure that Harry survived to return home once more, even if it meant she would never see him again.

Thomas rushed out of the room when he heard a glass shatter. Running into Harry's room, he saw that Harry was convulsing violently. Seraph and Hunter were struggling to hold him steady so that he wouldn't worsen his injuries. Remus was trying to push something in between his teeth to prevent him from biting through his tongue. Harry's skin had taken on a grey pallor most likely from continued blood loss and despite the temporary cast that Seraph had created around his leg the femur had pushed through the skin.

Thomas cast the only the healing charm he knew in the hopes that it would keep Harry alive long enough for Sirius to return. A soft blue glow spread from his wand and covered Harry's entire body. It didn't seem to have any visible effect but Harry's convulsions stopped for the time being.

By the time Sirius returned with Poppy, Remus was pleading with Harry to hold on a little longer. Poppy took one look at the scene and started casting spells to run different scans over Harry to identify the different injuries and his current status. The others just watched, not wanting to distract the healer while she worked. Rooting around in her satchel, she pulled a number of vials that were filled with the Blood Replenisher potion. Asking one of the men to prop Harry she administered the potions.

Harry's color improved almost immediately as the potions worked to restore his lost blood. She turned to Hunter and Seraph and asked "Can one of you remove this cast? We will need to set the bone before I can heal it."

Nodding, Seraph cut the flows and released the cast. The blue translucent cast shimmered and disappeared from around Harry's leg.

"Sirius and Remus, I need you to hold his chest and arms. Keep him as still as possible, this is going to hurt. Hunter and Seraph I need you to hold his legs steady." Once everyone was in position, she snapped the bone into place, lining up the fracture. Harry jerked or would have had the four men not been holding him down when she set the bone.

Muttering a soft incantation, a bright green light spread from her wand to his leg. Slowly, the bone fused together. Returning to the satchel she pulled out another pain relief potion and a Dreamless Sleep potion.

After she healed the cut to his arm, she administered the two potions. Lastly, she applied a burn salve to his arm and wrapped it in clean bandages. Sighing she sat down on an available chair. Sirius asked the obvious question "How is he?"

To everyone's relief, she replied "He is going to be fine. If we had taken too much longer, I am not sure he would have pulled through. He had a broken femur and severe blood loss from that and the cuts and burns to his arm. The salve should be applied once a day for the next three days and rewrapped. It will be a few days before he is up and around and he should stick to light exercise for the next week to give the bone and burns time to fully heal."

A collective sigh of relief went through the room. After resting for a few minutes, Poppy announced that she would head back to Hogwarts. She would firecall the next day to check on his progress. Thomas suggested that Hermione and Ron return to Hogwarts with her since they had classes to attend. After another argument with Ron regarding his maturity, Poppy, Ron and Hermione returned to Hogwarts with a message for Minerva to expect them in a few days.

_**Voldemort's Lair, Wales**_

Voldemort was sitting in his throne room discussing future plans with Acheron. Now that the public and Ministry were aware of his return, he did not need to keep a low profile. The raids would begin once more. The people would again fear his name cower at the sight of the dark mark floating in the night sky.

"I suggest you start small and escalate to larger attacks." Acheron suggested.

"Why start small? Why not wipe out the Ministry before they have time to prepare?"

"Based on what I saw the other day, your forces are not ready for such a large attack. I will begin training them to handle themselves better in battle. They need to be organized and efficient, not a random mob of people pairing off with opponents."

Voldemort's eyes flashed at that remark and he gripped his wand tightly for a moment. He wanted to punish Acheron for daring to criticize his Death Eaters. "Our methods have always been effective in the past, why should we change now?" He demanded.

Sighing and feeling like he was working with a petulant child Acheron explained "Because, now you have Telamon and his two friends who will be training their own forces and most likely the Ministry forces to do just that. So unless you want to get slaughtered…"

"Potter won't be able to stand against my power. Once my emissaries to the Dementors, Werewolves and Dragons are successful, we will be able to overwhelm his pathetic Order and the Ministry."

Acheron wished everyday he could simply return to his time, but he had to find a portal stone and he needed Telamon to give him the symbol for their time. Until he was able to get his hands on that information, he was stuck working with these amateurs. "What are you going to do, send everyone in one big strike?" Knowing that was exactly Voldemort's plans.

"Is there a problem with that? They would have no chance of standing up to such overwhelming power!"

Acheron crossed his arms and snorted in disgust. "Yes there is a problem with that. Have these different groups worked together before? Will the Dementors affect the Werewolves? If you plan on sacking the ministry, what use will the dragons be other than some collateral damage since the bulk of the fighting will be indoors?"

Grudgingly, Voldemort acknowledged the points that Acheron was attempting to make. "What would you do then?"

"I would start with a series of raids in remote locations. They will serve to instill fear and will be an effective training exercise for your forces. Once your forces are more experienced and have learned to work together, you attack a larger more populated area. This will help to draw out the Ministry forces allowing you to whittle them down. Depending on the outcome of the larger attacks, you will be able win by attrition or simply overwhelming power at that point."

"Where would one of these larger attacks take place?" Voldemort asked, intrigued by the idea.

"Without being totally familiar with the major cities, I would say somewhere in London that would be impossible for the Ministry to hide from the public."

Before Voldemort could respond, a bell rang throughout the base notifying them of an incoming portkey through the wards. Straightening in his throne, Voldemort prepared for the arrival of Snape's attack force. Seconds later, the 8 survivors of the raid on Grimmauld Place appeared in the throne room.

Where were the rest of his Death Eaters? Before he even asked a question, Voldemort yelled "_Crucio!"_ aiming the spell at a random Death Eater. His screams echoed off the chamber walls as pain ripped through his body.

Acheron watched the display impassively, thinking of Semirhage and her talents in causing pain. Voldemort had no subtlety or finesse. He was a poor replacement for Semirhage as most of his followers were poor replacements for any of the Chosen.

After releasing the spell, Voldemort ordered "Snape, what is your report?"

Snape nervously knelt before his Lord and began to give a recap of the raid. It simply reinforced Acheron's criticisms. 18 men were unable to penetrate the wards around the house and could not defeat 4 defenders.

Voldemort's magic was flaring around causing the Death Eater's robes to flutter in the wake. Before Voldemort could further punish his men, Acheron stepped up and asked a question. "Was Telamon there?"

Snape looked confused for a moment before he remembered Potter's adopted name and answered with a sneer "Yes he was. That arrogant prick took out 2 men and wounded 3 others before we finally had him cornered."

"By your expression, I assume you were not able to finish him?"

"No, one of those men that he brought with him did something that stunned all of us. They were gone by the time we came to."

Eyes filled with again Voldemort pointed his wand at Snape and yelled "_Crucio!_"

2 minutes later, Voldemort released the spell and Snape slowly regained control of his body though his muscles were still cramping occasionally as he returned to his feet. "Did you penetrate the wards at Grimmauld Place?"

Eyes darting around, Snape answered nervously in a scratchy voice, his throat raw from screaming. "No my Lord we did not. The muggle authorities arrived as we were recovering so we did not make it inside."

Voldemort shot to his feet, wand clenched tightly in his fist "You ran from muggles! _Expelliarmus_!" Snape's wand flew to Voldemort's hand as he was blasted off his feet. "Bella! Take Snape for further punishment." Snape paled at that pronouncement as he struggled to stand up once again from where he had been thrown by the force of the spell. Bella grinned insanely as she dragged Snape off at wand point.

Acheron stepped forward "LeStrange, hold for a moment." Bella paused and Acheron proceeded to question Snape regarding the tactics used. After a few minutes listening to Snape describe the types of attacks used by Sirius and Hestia, Acheron cut him off. He realized that Snape had disregard Telamon and Seraph since they did not use magic. Unfortunately for Snape, Acheron was only interested in the attacks used by Telamon and Seraph, since these 'wizards' were no real threat to him. Once he was satisfied that he had gotten what little relevant information there was from Snape he let Bella take him away for punishment.

**December 15th, 1995**

_**Ministry of Magic, DMLE**_

Amelia was sitting at her desk reviewing the latest reports of Death Eater attacks, training updates, and casualty reports. She was getting ready to meet with Harry and the Minister shortly. They needed an update on the activities of the Order. Sighing, Amelia thought about the events since the trials of Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore.

_Flashback_

_The wizarding world had been in an uproar after the attack on the Ministry. The Minister of Magic had been found guilty and sent to Azkaban for his crimes. Even Albus Dumbledore who most had looked upon as a beacon of hope with his grandfatherly persona had been found guilty. Many felt betrayed when they read about the crimes he had committed and his lack of remorse. Despite the betrayal, people did not feel as safe knowing that Voldemort was back and one of their greatest protectors was dead._

_During an emergency session of the Wizengamot, Rosaline Zabini had been elected as the interim Minister of Magic. She would finish out Fudge's term and then hold normal elections. One of her first actions was to declare a state of emergency in the wizarding world and to formally recognize the return of Voldemort. With that declaration, the estates of known Death Eaters were confiscated and used to help fund the war effort, which also helped to deprive Voldemort of needed funds._

_Overall, it had been a rough 3 ½ months for the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix since the first attack. Voldemort had been following Acheron's plans. While awaiting the results of his negotiations with the Dementors, Werewolves and Dragons, he ordered his Death Eaters to execute a series of small raids in remote areas._

_Each raid took place in a small town. They Death Eaters were in and out before Aurors could respond. Every attack resulted in a between 10 – 20 dead muggles. To-date, close to 600 muggles had been killed by the Death Eaters and their allies. So far, Amelia Bones and Rosaline Zabini had been unable to keep the news from the Daily Prophet and the WWN but they were able to keep the muggle authorities ignorant of the situation and the cause._

_Voldemort had become allies with the Dementors and the dragons. In a surprisingly subtle move for Voldemort, the decision was made to hold the dragons in reserve to take maximum advantage of the surprise. With the addition of the Dementors to his forces, the raids had grown larger and more daring. The Death Eaters were no longer content to hit and run. They were staying longer, giving the Dementors time to administer the kiss to many of the muggles. More often than not, the Death Eaters were still killing and pillaging when the Aurors arrived on the scene. After brief fire fights, the Death Eaters would portkey to safety._

_Amelia was growing frustrated with the lack of success in stopping these attacks. Analyzing the results of their efforts two months into the war, she realized that special teams of Aurors were needed. These teams became known as rapid response teams. _

_The repaid response teams were given special badges that would alert them of attacks and provide apparition coordinates. They had been specially trained to work in teams of five to better coordinate their attacks and defenses. Each team had at least one member that was fully able to cast a patronus to defend the rest of the team from the Dementors. The other members of the team each had specific roles to play from providing pinpoint attacks, utilizing wide dispersal spells as cover fire or distractions, and serving as support to generate shields or heal wounds._

_Even with the rapid response teams, the Ministry had little success in stopping or curbing the Death Eater attacks. The only good news they had received of late was regarding the dark creatures. It was widely know that Voldemort had sent out emissaries to many of the dark creatures. Surprisingly, most had chosen to remain neutral. The vampires, banshees, trolls and giants had all passed up the opportunity to rain destruction down upon the wizarding world. Most recently, the werewolves had decided to remain neutral as well, due in no small part to the efforts of Remus Lupin and a recent loosening of the restrictions placed upon the werewolves by the Ministry during Cornelius Fudge's time as Minister. In fact, the only dark creatures that had formed alliances with Voldemort were the Dementors and the dragons. _

_Though the war effort had been largely ineffectual, Amelia's plans to recruit more Aurors had been successful. After she received the unconditional support of the Minister, Amelia began to recruit heavily, increasing the number of trainees by over 150. The trainees were not yet ready for duty, but within the next 6 months, they would have a sizable force to use in the fight against Voldemort._

_The inclusion of the Order of the Phoenix in the ranks of the Aurors had not gone unnoticed by the new Minister. She was very supportive of the move. By officially recognizing the Order, they became an effective special ops group independent of the Aurors. There were weekly drills with the rapid response teams and the Order to work on coordinated maneuvers and strikes. The Order, because of their research into muggle weapons and defenses, was serving as a combination of long range support and front line unit. _

_Hunter had broken his team into three primary groups. Each of his research teams had made great headway in their different research projects. After they had received sets of muggle and dragon body armor, they proceeded to run a battery of tests to see which held up better against spells. To everyone's surprise, the Kevlar Nomex body armor provided much greater protection against both physical attacks and spells. The chemical makeup of the armor insulated the wearer from the effects of virtually all spells including the Cruciatus curse. The standard equipment package for each order member now included a fitted set of the Kevlar Nomex body armor which provided protection for the torso, arms and upper legs._

_The second team focused on the use of muggle weaponry in combat. Many of the laws in the UK made it difficult to purchase the rifles and side arms that were being researched. Consequently, Hunter would take the team to the US to make the purchases and use a portal to bring them back. It did not take the team long to identify the M40A3 as the idea sniper rifle to use. Originally built for the US Marines, Hunter and his team had been able to procure a large shipment of the deadly weapons. They had an effective range of 1,000 yards and held a standard 5 shot magazine. While the team had also researched side arms, much less emphasis was placed on the weapons. It was decided to go with the 9mm Sig-Sauer Pro for use as surprise tactic or weapon of last resort should one's wand be lost or broken._

_The final team had been working with representatives from the Department of Mysteries to come up with a way to allow muggle electronics to work in a magical environment. The team had been partially successful. By applying a custom designed shield charm to the muggle device, they were able insulate it from the magic energy present in such high concentrations in the wizarding world. Unfortunately, to date, they had only been able to shield small devices such as cell phones and radios. Anything that could not be run off of batteries refused to work. Despite their lack of total success, the radios had been incorporated into team deployments and tactical planning._

_Training had begun immediately after the attack on the Ministry during Dumbledore's trial. Initially, emphasis was placed on learning and perfecting attack spells and defense spells. Seraph had found that many of the Order were not practiced in these spells and would often pause or freeze up momentarily, even in training sessions when it came time to cast them. Each Order member spent hours casting all manor of attack spells, but paying special attention to ones such as Reducto and Percussio which could be used to destroy obstacles and inflict devastating injuries. From there, Seraph moved onto simulations, using Saidin to create the illusion of attackers, the Order members began to understand the necessity of making sure an enemy combatant does not get back up during a battle. While they were fighting illusions, Seraph made sure that any hits they took left painful reminders of the danger they were facing._

_After more than a month of training, Seraph incorporated the results of the armor research into his training. Each Order member now wore the Kevlar Nomex body armor to all training sessions. This allowed them to understand the limitations on quickness and range of mobility while adjusting to the additional weight of the armor. Unfortunately, some of the Order members, those least experienced with fighting, came to rely heavily on the armor. Seraph was disgusted with them when they would allow themselves to be hit by spells because they knew the armor could prevent any damage. He was forced to put additional force behind his own attacks, often damaging the armor in the process to demonstrate that the armor was not a perfect defense. It should not be relied upon to stop all attacks._

_The final training exercises every week focused on team work and tactics. The Order members learned to depend on each and to never fight alone. Dueling one on one in the wizarding world appeared to be very common but Seraph found it to be one of the most ridiculous tactics for winning a battle. Understanding that most enemy combatants would be expecting this kind of approach, Seraph emphasized team work to improve the odds of winning by going 2 on 1 or even 3 on 1. _

_He also began training the Order in the use of the sniper rifles and sidearms. The members that performed the best with the rifles were designated as snipers and practiced constantly on the quick assembly of their rifles, improving their aim, and maintaining control in combat situations. Each sniper was teamed up with a spotter who aided them in identifying and locating enemy targets. _

_As with the Aurors, Harry had been working to increase the size of the Order. Because they were using muggle technology and were training to kill and not stun, the results were much less spectacular but those who joined the Order did so with their eyes open and prepared to do what was necessary to win the war. By early December, the Order had grown to 32 people up from the original 14. Those who joined found themselves with a lot of work ahead of them as they underwent intense physical and magical training to get up to speed._

_Even Hogwarts had been affected by the attacks and new policies being implemented by the Ministry and the DMLE. After Harry had recovered from his injuries, he and Remus had met with Minerva. Sensing her hostility and guessing at the most likely reason, Remus took the time to explain in detail the crimes that Dumbledore had committed and the evidence that they had in their possession showing his guilt. Minerva relented after hearing exactly what Albus had done and found she could not truly blame Harry or Sirius for pressing charges. She probably would have done the same thing had she been in their place._

_With a more congenial atmosphere present in her office, they proceeded to the main reasons for the visit. First, they asked Minerva to excuse Ron and Hermione from Hogwarts for the weekends. They were assisting the Order in research and training activities. Seeing Minerva's unease at the prospect of them being included in attacks, he assured her that he had their parents' approval and that the only battles they would participate in would be those in which the headquarters was attacked. _

_When Minerva heard what kind of training Ron and Hermione were receiving in regards to spell work she asked if the Order would be willing to provide tutors for those students at Hogwarts willing to put in the extra time. Remus volunteered some of his own time to teach and Harry suggested that they work with Amelia to have Aurors that were willing provide similar lessons so that the workload would be spread out._

_Minerva actually broached the last point they had wanted to cover with her. She admitted that she was concerned about an attack from Voldemort now that Albus was dead. Harry had similar concerns but neither the Order nor the DMLE could afford to permanently station any forces at Hogwarts and even if they did, they would most likely not be enough to hold off a serious attack. In lieu of that, Harry told her that they were working on a means of communication using muggle technology. Once they had the kinks worked out, he would see to it that each of the professors was equipped with a phone so they could contact Amelia and Harry immediately if there was an attack. _

_Taking some time to have lunch and talk of more pleasant things than the war, Minerva asked Harry about his time in the future. Like most of the wizarding world, she had read about his revelation during Sirius' trial and was very curious. Because she had always been supportive of him during his time at Hogwarts, Harry shared his experiences and described his life and family. She was quite excited to hear about Saidin and what could be done with it. In fact, rather than floo back to Cardiff, she insisted that he open a portal so that she could see it for herself. Despite being prepared, he jaw almost hit the floor as the portal snapped open revealing the designated room in the manor that was used for Traveling. With a promise that they would meet regularly going forward, Harry and Remus stepped through the portal and let it close behind them._

_End Flashback_

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Amelia stood up. Gathering up the reports she would need, she left for the Minster's office and her weekly meeting with Harry and Rosaline.

_**Piccadilly Circus**_

It was 10pm; Piccadilly Circus was packed with people out shopping and celebrating the holidays. Voldemort was cackling as he sent out his Death Eaters and a detachment of Dementors to lay waste to the large square in muggle London. He was looking forward to the panic this attack would cause at the Ministry. While they were scurrying around trying to cover up the attack and _Obliviate _all the muggles, he would be free to attack Azkaban and free his loyal Death Eaters imprisoned there.

The attack began quietly. People began to feel cold and sad as the Dementors started to descend on the crowds, feeding off the happy feelings and memories. Slowly, they descended bringing darkness and despair with them. Many in the crowds began to collapse in the face of the assault from the Dementors. Those on the outskirts of the square were targeted first by the Dementors and 'kissed,' leaving behind soulless husks.

Minutes later, the contingent of 20 Death Eaters portkeyed into the middle of the square and began terrorizing the muggles. Some settled for the simple and painless _Avada Kedavra_ killing the victims immediately. Others preferred to have some fun with their victims first, torturing them with the _Crucio_ or more physical spells such as _Incendio _and Bone Crushing curse. Those not already incapacitated by the Dementors began screaming and running in an effort to get away.

In the DMLE, alarms started ringing registering the use of Dark Magic in Piccadilly Circus in muggle London. A general alert was sent out to the rapid response teams and the Order of the Phoenix with apparition coordinates.

Aurors arrived on the scene shortly after the alarm was sent out. The Death Eaters, hearing the characteristic _cracks_ of apparition turned and started scanning for the Aurors. Immediately, the Aurors started grouping themselves together, forming 5 person teams in a diamond formation. In total, there were 5 diamonds that moved out preparing to battle the Death Eaters and Dementors.

One member of the each diamond was targeting the Dementors focusing on happy memories and casting _Expecto Patronum!_ The silver patroni burst into life and charged the Dementors. A lion, wolf, coyote and a tiger charged into the night, pushing the Dementors back. As the effect of the Dementors diminished, each team moved off to find cover and begin attacking the Death Eaters.

The fifth diamond was overwhelmed by the Dementors. Their patronus was nothing but a thin field of silver mist that swiftly dissipated in the face of the Dementors' attack. Before the other teams could respond, the Dementors swept down and 'kissed' three of the five Aurors leaving nothing worth saving.

The Death Eaters noticing the silver bursts of light brightening the night sky turned and saw the Auror rapid response teams. They reacted quickly, diving for cover as spells screamed toward them. Streaks of green, red, purple, and deep blue shot through the air, impacting against concrete, earth and people. Explosions and screams echoed off the surrounding buildings as fighters and innocent victims on both sides fell.

Harry, Seraph, Sirius, Remus apparated to the coordinates and quickly fanned out and scanned the area. Each man identified high points at each corner overlooking the square and apparated. Once each man was ensconced on the roof of different buildings they sent their coordinates back to their HQ in Cardiff.

8 members of the Order apparated to the coordinates transmitted. 2 men apparated to each set and took up positions. Each team had a sniper and a spotter. Taking a moment to survey the battle below them, the spotters identified the Death Eaters that had taken cover behind trees, garbage cans, and any cover they could find to protect them from the Aurors. While the spotters were identifying targets, the snipers were assembling the rifles, attaching silencers and sights.

Four targets identified, the snipers opened fire. The soft muffled shots were unheard by anyone other than the rooftop teams. A Death Eater fell for each bullet fired. Gaping holes appeared either in the chest or in the heads.

While the Death Eaters did not see where the gun shots had came from, the Dementors did. They swept over to the buildings where the sniper teams were located to attack this new foe. Sirius and Remus reacted first, crying out _Expecto Patronum_! A large silver grim and wolf launched themselves into the Dementors attacking their teams.

Harry was able to throw off the effects of the Dementors with his Occlumency and channeled quickly. A thin stream of Balefire blazed through the night, destroying the 3 Dementors that had been approaching his position. Seraph channeled fire and created a raging inferno that incinerated the Dementors in searing blue flames. Their screams could be heard by all those in the square. The remaining Dementors fled the area having witnessed the death of 7 of their number for the first time in hundreds of years.

Many of the Death Eaters had fallen to the Aurors and the Order by this point. Despite the fact that more than half their number had been killed only a single Death Eater portkeyed away. The remaining seven continued the battle. They had forced the rapid response teams under cover with a series _Avada Kedavras_ and _Percussios _blasting holes in the pavement and showering the Aurors with debris.

As Harry and Seraph were dispatching the Dementors, another band of 20 Death Eaters portkeyed into the square. Following the trail of the stream of fire created by Seraph, they fired a number of blasting hexes and _Reductos_. Seraph's spotter noticed the incoming stream of spells yelled out a warning, but was too late to do anything else. The front of the building disintegrated under the force of the spells, throwing chunks of stone into air. Seraph and his team had no time to react as the roof collapsed underneath them and they dropped to the growing pile of rubble and were trapped by shifting concrete.

While the newly arrived Death Eaters were focused on Seraph's team, Harry took advantage of the opportunity and pulled as much Saidin to him as he could and forced the ground underneath the Death Eaters to explode. A great fireball blossomed into the night sky, blinding those who looked at. A wave of heat flashed across his skin as the shockwave from the explosion blew out windows and set off car alarms. The Death Eaters nearest the blast were incinerated instantly while those further away were thrown into trees and buildings by the shockwave.

Finally, muggle police arrived on the scene to witness the final minutes of the battle. Unfamiliar with magic and the parties involved, the police opened fire on both sides in an effort to protect the public. Even as they opened fire, more sirens could be heard signaling the approach of more police and rescue teams.

Unfortunately for the Aurors, they were positioned closer to the police and were forced to defend themselves from their attack. The team closest to the police was targeted quickly and the police fired round and round with brutal efficiency. After witnessing the destruction of Piccadilly Circus, the police were not taking any chances so they were shooting to kill. In the span of time that it took for the Death Eaters, Aurors, and Order of the Phoenix to realize that a new player was involved, the first rapid response team was wiped out.

The three remaining rapid response teams began to pick off the surviving Death Eaters that were distracted by the arrival of the police. _Reductos_ were cast with brutal efficiency. The spells blew holes through hastily raised shields tearing off arms and/or legs in the process. Of the original attack team only 3 or 4 were left in fighting condition and the entire relief team had been killed in the explosion created by Harry. After seeing the majority of their comrades fall, the survivors portkeyed out.

The surviving Aurors apparated back to the DMLE to make their reports and get their injuries healed. Harry radioed Sirius and Remus to send their teams back. Then he channeled spirit and created an illusion to make himself like a police officer. Harry ordered his team back and made his way to Seraph's position. As the roof was collapsing, he had sensed someone channeling, so he could only hope that Seraph and his team had survived.

Taking advantage of the distraction provided by the arrival of ambulances and fire firefighters, he channeled spirit and water to scan for signs of life. Worriedly, he only sensed two people. Channeling air, he began to discreetly move aside rubble until he uncovered a shimmering blue shield that Seraph must had spun as they fell. Through the shield he could see that it was the sniper who had died. He must have hit his head as he fell and broken his neck because his head was lying at an unnatural angle.

Knocking on the shield like a door, he got Seraph's attention. Seraph's face filled with relief at the sight of Harry, shifting the weaves, he created an opening in the shield so that he could get the spotter and the body of the sniper out of there. Once his team was out, he followed and watched as Harry opened a portal back to Cardiff. Before he stepped through, he released Saidin and the shield collapsed and disappeared with a low rumble as debris shifted and fell once more.

Rather than following them through to Cardiff, Harry told Seraph that he was headed to the DMLE. He opened another portal into a side room off of Amelia's office that had been set aside for this purpose. He stepped through to discuss the latest raid with Amelia.

**December 16th, 1995**

_**Ministry of Magic, DMLE**_

Harry was exhausted. He had arrived at the Ministry immediately following the battle. Since that time, he had been locked in meetings with Amelia and Rosaline Zabini, the Minister of Magic. They had been discussing the latest raid and the subsequent attack on Azkaban while the Ministry's focus was diverted.

Rosaline was the first to broach the topic of the muggles. "I am not sure we can contain this latest raid. The destruction was too great. More importantly I am not sure we have the right to hide this any longer."

Amelia was filled with a mixture of anger and guilt. "Many of the surviving Rapid Response teams are understandably upset that their teammates were killed by the muggle authorities. I am not sure how they would react to another encounter with the muggle authorities."

Harry jumped in "The police are not at fault. They were simply responding to the situation. From their perspective, there were two unknown groups waging battle in the middle of a crowded square."

"That is why we need to inform the Prime Minister at a minimum. We already have sporadic contact with him so he is at least aware of the wizarding world." Rosaline interjected.

Amelia looked thoughtful for a moment before she added "Depending on the response we get, it may be worth while to explore a joint task force. Harry and the Order are already using muggle weapons and body armor but I have had little success in getting the Aurors to adopt similar equipment."

Confusion evident on her face, Rosaline asked "Why is that? I thought your teams were participating in weekly drills with the Order. Wouldn't the effectiveness of the weapons and armor be evident in those training session?"

Harry answered this "You would think so. While most of the Aurors don't support the whole Pure Blood superiority theory, they still seem to think that muggle inventions and tools are beneath them. The fact is the wizarding world is far behind the capabilities of the muggle world."

"I agree with you. I will setup up an appointment with the Prime Minister in the next couple of days. You both should be there for this meeting. We need to discuss our efforts to contain Voldemort and the Death Eaters." Rosaline paused for a moment and looked apologetically at Harry "The prophecy and your role in it should also be discussed Harry."

Sighing in resignation Harry said "I already figured it would come up. Be warned though, we are going to look like idiots I'm sure. Thank god the Prime Minister won't know who Trelawney is or we would probably be thrown into an asylum for giving it any credence."

Chuckling softly, Rosaline said "I'm not sure we shouldn't anyway."

**December 18th, 1995**

_**10 Downing Street**_

A black limo pulled up to the home of Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister. After coming to a stop, the driver stepped out and opened the door for the occupants. Rosaline Zabini, Amelia Bones, and Harry Potter stepped out of the car and looked up at the house in front of them. All three were thinking of the way that this meeting could change the future of the world.

They were allowed to enter after being thoroughly searched by the guards. Shortly after being led to a nicely appointed sitting room that was clearly designed to intimidate visitors and despite knowing its intention the three were feeling somewhat intimidated. A few minutes after waiting, they found themselves in the presence of Tony Blair.

As Minister of Magic, Rosaline Zabini stepped forward and said "Prime Minister, thank you for seeing us on such short notice."

"I believe we have some items to discuss." Tony said in a cold voice as he motioned them to take a seat. It was clear he was not going to waste time with pleasantries. Motioning them to take a seat, he waited until the three were seated. Tony continued "What exactly were you people doing having a pitched battle in the middle of Piccadilly Circus? Over 60 people are dead and if I didn't receive regular reports from the wizarding world, I would be ignorant of who was involved."

Amelia responded "We were responding to an attack by the Death Eaters and their allies."

"I thought you had either killed or imprisoned everyone part of that group?" Tony asked.

Amelia answered somewhat nervously "We had or more precisely, Mr. Potter here was responsible for the defeat of Voldemort back in 1981 but most of his followers were free to return back to society. However, a little over a year ago, he was able to come back through a complicated ritual."

Tony was predictably angry by this announcement. "I am not sure which to be more upset with. One you let known criminals go home with no punishment, what kind of laws did you have? Two, you have known that Voldemort, essentially a terrorist determined to undermine both governments, returned over a 5 months ago and we were never notified. Can you please explain this to me?"

Harry didn't think that Amelia or Rosaline had noticed Tony's use of the past tense when referring to the laws of the wizarding world. This meeting might be more interesting then he first thought.

Amelia glanced over to Rosaline who was blushing in embarrassment and had a sour expression on her face as she said "Cornelius Fudge was more concerned about keeping his position and lining his pocket than punishing his campaign contributors or addressing the problem. He has since been removed from office for corruption and a host of other charges."

"Given this revelation, is it safe for me to assume that Voldemort is responsible for the string of attacks and deaths that have been plaguing the country prior to the Piccadilly Circus incident?"

Harry spoke up again "Yes, he has been able to gather allies from within the Dementors and we believe that recently the dragons have joined his as well. We also believe that he has been using these attacks as training exercises for his forces."

"Yet you didn't feel it was important to let us know that what was going on, even though non-magic people were clearly the primary targets in these attacks."

Rosaline answered "We have hidden from your world for so long, it has become the norm to cover up any attacks and try and handle the situation on our own."

"I will be honest with you that will no longer going to be an option. Those of us in the government that are aware of the existence of your world have been debating the pros and cons of bringing you into the light of day. At a minimum, the British Ministry will no longer be autonomous."

Both Rosaline and Amelia paled at this announcement. Harry was actually pleased with the turn of events. Based on his experience as an Aes Sedai, he knew that given time both societies could live together without issue. Nodding in agreement, Harry surprised everyone by saying "It is long past due. The wizarding world is extremely backwards in many respects and far too insular."

"You surprise me Mr. Potter. I did not expect to get a favorable response from any of your world's leadership."

"I have a somewhat unique perspective on things."

"Why is that? And I was under the impression that you were a baby when you defeated Voldemort back in 1981 yet you are clearly in your mid-twenties."

Sighing softly, Harry explained what had happened to him at the beginning of the summer and the time that he spent in the future.

Despite his best efforts, Tony was unable to conceal his amazement at Harry's story. "I suppose that story is no more unbelievable than that of a 1year old baby defeating a fully grown wizard. Based on what you just said though, it is possible for our two worlds to function peacefully without any separation, even though it may take time for people to adjust to the situation." Tony stated.

Rosaline was quick to urge caution "I agree that we should begin to remove the barriers between our two worlds. However, as someone who has extensive business interests in the muggle world…" Rosaline paused as she saw Tony grimace at the use of that term.

After noticing Rosaline's quizzical gaze, Tony supplied "I don't think you realize how insulting that term is. Virtually everyone from your world that I have met uses that term with an air of contempt to some degree."

Both Amelia and Rosaline blushed at the truth of this comment. Rosaline changed the topic to something less sensitive but no less pertinent "If we are no longer going to be autonomous, will we be a part of your cabinet?"

"Yes, you will be the representative on my cabinet. Initially, things will operate as they have been doing for years, but I expect you to start bringing your laws into line with the rest of the UK. Based on reports of corruption in your court system, we have decided that it is to be dissolved immediately. After what I have been told about the quality of your court system, I don't think you can be trusted to give criminals a fair trial."

Amelia opened her mouth to rebut that only to close it again with a click of her teeth as she realized the damage that Fudge had done to their credibility. Even if he was responsible, the fact was that they had allowed it go on. So she settled for "What about the Aurors?"

"I would expect that they would remain the primary force to police wizards and witches. In the future that may change, but for the time being, they will remain the frontline as I imagine that police would not be as effective."

"Actually, I think you should look to combine the two forces. The group I represent has found that Kevlar Nomex body armor is extremely effective in stopping most spells. Additionally, we have incorporated sniper rifles and side arms into our efforts to against Voldemort's forces. Most shields can't stop a bullet and the range provided by the sniper rifles ensures an element of surprise. In fact, we used rifles to take out at least 6 Death Eaters in the attack on Piccadilly Circus.

In general, the wizarding world is lazy and too reliant on magic. The Aurors could benefit greatly from your investigative techniques. Plus, it will help with the integration of the two worlds." Again Rosaline and Amelia blushed at Harry's blunt comments but couldn't deny the truth behind his words. They were lazy, rarely looking beneath the surface. Sirius Black was a perfect example of their corruption and laziness.

Nodding in thought at Harry's statement, Tony asked another question "How effective is magic against Voldemort's allies?"

"Not very, there is only one spell to use against Dementors and it does nothing more than force them to flee. It does not injure them and unfortunately most wizards can't cast it either. Dragons are highly immune to magic, it takes a group of wizards working together to penetrate their resistance."

"Will conventional weapons be more effective?" Tony asked, intrigued by the idea of a joint task force of wizards and military forces.

"I believe they would yes. The Dementors that we destroyed the other night were brought down by physical attacks such as fire. Dragons will be harder because their armor will offer them significant protection from bullets, but I would imagine that guns of a particularly high caliber or rockets of some sort would be more than sufficient to take them out of the fight." Harry answered.

Tony was quiet for a few moments as he considered the implications but inaction would be worse in his mind as the wizarding world had already ignored the problem for far too long. "I will speak with my Defense Minister to get his opinion. Expect to meet again on the 21st to discuss this further as well as the next steps to transition judicial authority over to the British judicial system.

**A/N: I apologize for the delay. There was a death in the family so I did not have much time to write.**

**As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. Ideas, comments, criticism are always welcome.**


	12. The Necessary Evil

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter or Wheel of Time.**

**A/N: It was pointed out that Tony Blair did not become prime minister until '97. However, I couldn't find the names of John Majors' cabinet members so I am leaving Tony in office.**

**Chapter 11:** **The Necessary Evil**

**February 22, 1996**

_**Diagon Alley, 1pm**_

It had been just over two months since the British Government had revoked the autonomy of the wizarding world. The existence of magic had not yet been revealed to the general public but it was slowly being disseminated to key government groups and military.

Surprisingly, they had taken the news in stride and were largely unconcerned with the day-to-day existence of the wizards and witches. They were more concerned with the fact that there was a terrorist group that had been in operation for some time that had been intentionally hidden from them by the Ministry. Rosaline and Amelia had to scramble to defend their actions and justify remaining in their positions. It was only the well known incompetence of Cornelius Fudge that allowed them to escape retribution.

The changes to the Ministry and the opening of their world were not being taken well by the all the inhabitants of the wizarding world. Pure-Bloods in particular were having the strongest reaction. They firmly believed that the muggles were beneath them and anything not created with magic was worthless. As a consequence, many of those who had previously been neutral now joined Voldemort's Death Eaters in an effort to protect their culture and autonomy. They were unable to see any of the benefits of ending their isolation, they only saw the destruction of their world.

Half-bloods and muggle-borns in general viewed the change as a positive one. Many felt that their world was backwards and far behind the innovations available to the muggles. While magic was wonderful, many muggle-borns were not content to leave behind their old world entirely. Both groups had much greater exposure to the advantages that technology offered and realized that they did not have to give up their magic to benefit. Instead, the best of both worlds would be available to anyone with an open mind.

The level of unrest in the wizarding world had risen sharply when their courts were disbanded after the level of corruption was exposed and they would now face the same justice as the rest of the British. After his incarceration, investigators went through Fudge's personal papers and discovered that Sirius Black was not the only man sent to Azkaban without a trial. Throughout his time as Minister of Magic, Fudge had sentence more than 30 witches and wizards to Azkaban without a trial. More often than not, their only crime was speaking out against Fudge or being a political enemy.

Many of the Pure-Blood families were outraged at the changes to the judicial system. They had counted on the fact that they could buy their way out of any legal problems. Now, the influence gained from their money and their family name was rapidly dwindling away. Now they would be held responsible for their actions. The changes were fracturing the wizarding world into two distinct camps, those supporting the changes and those against them. There was little love lost between the two groups.

The sky was clear and it was a cool February afternoon. Tensions were near the boiling point and the Pure-Bloods were staging another protest in Diagon Alley. The large group included well known members of the Greengrass, Davis, Bulstrode, Baddock and Pritchard families.The group of 30 wizards and witches began harassing shoppers and business owners that were known to be in support of the changes to the Ministry.

Half-Bloods and muggle-borns used to these protests were not intimidated by the group and began shouting obscenities at them. For too long, half-bloods and muggle-borns had been discriminated against or looked down upon by the Pure-Bloods. Now that things were changes, they were willing to stand up for themselves and fight back. One particularly angry shop-owner conjured fruit and began throwing it at the protestors. Other shoppers and business owners followed suit and soon the protestors were being pelted from all directions by fruit.

Feeling humiliated some of the Pure-Bloods began retaliating. Reginald Greengrass cried out _Reducto_ aiming for a small outdoor stand after getting pelted again with another piece of fruit. Because his emotions were running high, the spell was particularly powerful and blew a large hole into the stand, destroying most of the merchandise in the process. Other Pure-Bloods followed suit and a string of blasting curses, _Reductos_,and _Percussios_ flew from the group. Explosions echoed off the walls of Diagon Alley and people were thrown off their feet from the impact of the blasting curses and _Percussios_. Windows shattered as debris flew through the air and people cried out as they were struck with rocks and glass.

A roar of outrage rang out over the alley. The shoppers and business owners began fighting back. Giving up on fruit, one business owner cast the bone crushing curse at Reginald Greengrass and caught him in the chest. Greengrass collapsed as his shattered rib cage was smashed into his lungs and heart. At seeing one of their number fall, Francis Hertzog cast _Avada Kedavra_ striking down the business owner.

Members of both sides panicked when they heard Hertzog cast the killing curse. Some began screaming and running in every direction. While others continued to throw spells back and forth. Patrick Bulstrode took aim at one of the fleeing shoppers and muttered a quiet _Reducto_ to drill a hole right though the woman's spine and chest.

As with the Pure-bloods, not all the shoppers and business owners were running. Marie Malkin started throwing _Stupefys_, red jets of light springing from her towards multiple targets. She was hoping to halt the violence without getting more people hurt. Unfortunately for the Pure-Bloods not everyone was so kind. Martos, the owner of the trunk shop near Knockturn alley said _Exolesco _while slashing his wand in a zigzag motion. A pale yellow beam struck a Pure-Blood on his right thigh. The light spread across his entire body causing the skin to decay and slough off leaving exposed muscles and arteries.

While the situation was escalating, two rapid response teams apparated to the entrance of the alley to take stock of the situation and try to regain control. Separate from the rapid response teams a portal spun into existence and Shacklebolt, Seraph, and 8 SAS soldiers stepped through.

A stray _Percussio_ caught one of the soldiers in the chest and threw him back against the wall at the edge of Diagon Alley. Luckily his body armor absorbed most of the damage but he still collapsed to the street dazed and out-of-breath. The other soldiers reacted to the attack and opened fire on the mob with short controlled bursts from their M16A2 semi-automatic rifles. Bullets sliced into the crowd cutting down Pure-Bloods, shoppers and business owners.

Sensing a new threat, many members of the mob forgot their current targets and focused on the soldiers. Seraph saw the change and quickly channeled Saidin and slammed a shield up between the soldiers and the mob. Splashes of light spread across the shield as spells slammed into it. For now the shield was holding and it was giving Seraph, Tonks, the Aurors, and the soldiers time to plan their next actions and get into position.

As often happened, fate had to throw something new into the mix. Loud roars and gouts of flame caught everyone's attention as a wing of three dragons strafed the alley. Sleek black bodies with huge wings swept back as the Hebridean Black dragons dove through the air and left a swath of destruction in their wake. Buildings and people were set aflame in the first pass with the screams of the dying rising above the chaos.

The Pure-Bloods rallied after seeing the dragons attack. They realized that the Death Eaters would no doubt be showing up shortly to help them attack the muggle-lovers. Focusing their efforts on the shield, a group of three wizards were able to shatter it with a cluster of blasting curses.

The Aurors responded with their own spells and beams of light flashed between the two groups. Unlike the soldiers, the Aurors refused to wear the Kevlar Nomex body armor and thus were badly injured or killed when struck by the curses flying their way. Most were able to dodge incoming spells but some were too slow and were struck with blasting hexes. The two Aurors that were unlucky enough to be hit simply disappeared in a cloud of red mist as they were blown apart by the strength of the explosions.

After ordering his men to open fire again, Captain Thomas, the officer in charge of the SAS soldiers radioed in for reinforcements and requested an artillery team. While waiting for them to show, his men cut down 4 of the Pure-Blood wizards that had tried to target the soldiers before they were forced to dodge as the dragons made another strafing run and forced them from their position to avoid the streams of fire pouring from their gaping jaws. Moments later another 6 SAS soldiers portkeyed into the alley, three of them were armed with shoulder mounted missile launchers.

Shacklebolt and the remaining rapid response Aurors apparated the 6 soldiers to building tops so that they would have an unobstructed view of the dragons and the battle before returning to the street level. Seconds later, the first missile roared off into the sky targeting the lead dragon. The explosion tore through the dragon's underbelly killing it instantly. The body plummeted to earth, crashing through the roof of Madame Malkins. Glass shattered and the building collapsed around the body of the dragon, showering those nearby with fragments of wood and dust.

After watching one of the number die, the other two dragons separated and came in from different directions. As the dragons swerved, a second missile streaked toward them and impacted on the right wing of the dragon tearing the wing apart. Spiraling out of control, the dragon crashed onto the alley crushing a handful of wizards and witches in the process.

The third dragon was able to dodge the incoming missile and made a final strafing run. Fire spewing from its mouth, it swept down across the mouth of the alley, igniting Florean Fortescues and catching one of the soldiers. With the loss of two of its comrades, the remaining dragon fled after finishing its run.

Even as the dragon was strafing the alley one final time, a portal opened up near Gringotts. Acheron along with a contingent of 20 Death Eaters stepped through the portal and entered the battle. Hearing the rattle of gunfire, he ordered the Death Eaters to take care of the crowd and he would focus on the soldiers.

The Death Eaters fanned out but stayed pairs as they began to pick off different members of the crowd. Under the direction of Acheron, most of the Death Eaters no longer used _Crucio_, it was dangerous to play with your victims because it gave them a chance to retreat or retaliate, so most were simply dispatched with the _Avada Kedavra_. It was like a sheet of green energy was flying towards the mob as every Death Eater cast at the same time. One Death Eater followed up with _Flagro_ and black flames rose from the ground underneath a shop owner engulfing him until the only sound were his screams and the crackling of the flames as he burned.

Acheron began making his way towards the main entrance to the alley. He stayed close to the buildings and out of the direct line of fire. Finally, he spotted the soldiers and Seraph. Recognizing Seraph as the biggest threat, he targeted him first. Drawing deeply on Saidin, he shot a thick blazing bar of Balefire at Seraph hoping to catch him unawares. The Balefire eradicated 4 people as it shot towards Seraph.

Seraph sensing someone channeling paused to look around and saw Balefire shooting towards him. Dodging at the last second, the bar shot through the spot he had just been standing in and hit two soldiers before slicing into a building on the far side of the alley. Rolling back to his feet, Seraph felt himself sink into pavement. Acheron had been channeling earth and water turning most of the alley into a shallow mud pit. Many in the mob began flailing around in an effort to regain their balance and dodge out of the way of incoming attacks.

Seraph channeled air and water into lightning and cast it the mob. The bolt arced from person to person, stunning them momentarily but to weak to do anything more permanent. People collapsed into the mud as they were struck by the lighting and stunned. It exposed Acheron's position. He was located to the rear and off to the side of the mob when the lightning spread over the shield he had hastily erected.

From their vantage point on the rooftops, Acheron and the Death Eaters were easily spotted as the mob collapsed from Seraph's attack. Sighting quickly, a shoulder mounted missile launched and streaked towards Acheron. He saw the missile coming towards him and reinforced his shield as much as possible. The explosion shattered his shield and echoed off the walls of the alley. Though he was protected from the blast itself, the concussive force of the explosion slammed into Acheron and he flew through the door of the apothecary shop behind him.

A second missile, roared to life and fired just seconds after the first, detonated inside the apothecary shop. The fire from the explosion ignited the volatile potion components setting off even more explosions. Shards of glass and wood sliced through the air and into the combatants as the entire building exploded. A few of the Pure-Bloods that were struggling to regain their feet after the lightning were blasted back to the earth or into their neighbors by the force of the explosion. Others just collapsed to the ground in pools of blood as glass or wood sheared through limbs or severed arteries.

A third missile targeted a group of Death Eaters that had grouped together near the entrance of Gringotts. It impacted at their feet. The explosion killed many of the Death Eaters instantly and others were slammed against the walls of Gringotts by the force of the blast. Bones shattered with audible cracks and only a handful of Death Eaters remained standing and able to fight.

The SAS team on the ground advanced on the mob and the remaining Death Eaters. Firing with pinpoint accuracy and control, shots rang out as the SAS took out the remaining attackers. 3 more Death Eaters fell to the hail of gunfire before the remaining 4 portkeyed away to safety.

The Aurors were just checking on survivors when they found Shacklebolt. He had been caught by a shard of flying glass that sliced clean through half his neck. Before they could move on, there was another explosion in the remains of the apothecary shop. Pebbles and chunks of wood rained down on the survivors as Acheron struggled to his feet. He opened a portal and staggered through before anyone had recovered enough to stop him.

**_10 Downing Street, 1pm_**

Harry, Amelia, and Rosaline were once again meeting the Prime Minister. This time they were joined by the Secretaries of State for Defense and For the Home Department. The topic of this weeks meeting was to review the ongoing transition of authority from the Ministry of Magic back to the British Government, the reaction of the wizards and witches, and updates on the war effort.

"Rosaline how is the transition progressing?" Tony asked.

"We are making headway in switching over the different departments and marrying them up with those in the non-magical world."

Nodding and taking a sip of coffee, Tony asked another question "How are the people reacting? Are you still getting a lot of resistance?"

"As you know, the reaction has been mixed. Most of the half-bloods and pardon the term muggle-borns are in support of the change. They have greater experience with the non-magical world and recognize that the wizarding world is largely backwards in comparison to the non-magical world, both in customs and technology. In fact many admitted to feeling torn when it came time to graduate from Hogwarts. They did not want to leave behind the comforts and benefits offered by the non-magical world just to practice magic freely in an anachronistic society." Rosaline responded.

Amelia provided more detailed information before Tony could ask another question "The pure-bloods are still having the hardest time adjusting to the changes. We have intelligence that most of the families that were neutral in the first war have now joined Voldemort. Those that haven't joined his outright are sympathetic to his cause. They have started staging protests in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. So far no one has been hurt, but the frequency and violence does seem to be escalating."

Charles Clark, the Secretary of State for the Home Department spoke up "Is anything being done to educate the younger pure-bloods about the benefits of merging our two worlds?"

"The curriculum at Hogwarts has been changed. Non-magical studies are now a required course for all years. We have brought in a number of the parents of our students to teach the class. The class itself is focusing on the differences between our worlds and the benefits that each will experience by this change."

"Is there anything to be done with the parents?" Charles asked.

"Unfortunately, no they are not breaking any laws. Since we have no concrete evidence that they are aiding Voldemort, we can't arrest them for aiding a terrorist." Amelia said in frustrated tone of voice. "I fear that my generation is not going to live to a ripe old age if they don't learn to embrace the changes to our society."

John Reid the Secretary of State for Defense interjected "They are adults and responsible for the choices they make. It may sound barbaric, but I am not sure we aren't better off without them. Our world has enough problems with discrimination and prejudice without adding a new flavor to the mix."

Harry spoke up for the first time "I sure we will see it from both societies regardless. There will be those that are jealous or afraid of the power witches and wizards have. As Rosaline said, many are pleased with the changes. The sad truth about the wizarding world is that the majority of witches and wizards are lazy. They will follow whoever is strongest or shouts the loudest without giving much thought to the truth behind the statements."

"Yes well, that is true to an extent everywhere but it certainly does seem to be particularly prevalent in the wizarding world. Perhaps with exposure to the non-magical world and the changes being made, their involvement and responsibility will increase."

Rosaline grimaced slightly and said "If it does, it will probably not happen for many years."

"Has the integration of the police force gone any better?" Tony queried wearily.

Charles answered "It has been smoother but there is still a long way to go. We have had little success in getting the Aurors to adopt our body armor or the use of sidearms. Despite numerous examples of our body armor providing greater protection there is still a high level of prejudice against using non-magical equipment or weapons."

Interrupting, John added "We have seen more success with the military."

"Is there a reason?"

"We think that the Hit Wizards and Unspeakables tend to be more focused on results than the Aurors. Given that they tend to be in more life and death situations than the average Auror, they are willing to make use of any advantage at their disposal."

As John paused for a moment, Harry added "We have seen that with the Order of the Phoenix as well. Even before we started working with the SAS, our members joined knowing that we would be making use of whatever would give us the greatest advantage. They were able to see through repeated tests that the Kevlar Nomex body armor provides significantly better protection than even the best dragon armor. Any dissenters quickly changed their mind after their first battle."

Smiling John remarked wryly "It's funny how having your life flash before your eyes can affect your view on things."

Tony chuckled softly before asking "What about the joint task force? How have the training exercises been progressing?"

John straightened in his chair somewhat and spoke with pride evident in his voice "The JTs have been working extremely well. The SAS has adopted the new capabilities offered by the inclusion of wizards and witches into the unit. As Harry mentioned, the men are more interested in results than in the means to achieve them. So if magic will work better in a given situation, the men are more than willing to use it. The biggest challenge has been developing assault and defense tactics that take advantage of both groups strengths.

Seraph Sedai and Mr. Potter have been extremely helpful in that regard. Their experience in combining forces has really helped improve on the learning curve we would have faced. With their input, we have created three types of teams. There is the primary assault team which serves as the main frontline unit. It is comprised on two wizards or witches and 8 SAS troops. The other two teams are more specialized and fill specific needs in battles. The second team has been jokingly called "the Firebugs." It is made up of 4 SAS soldiers armed with flame throwers, 4 SAS soldiers with standard weapons and 2 wizards or witches for defense and transport. The last group is the long range support or artillery unit. It is the smallest, consisting of only two men. One SAS soldier armed either with the standard sniper rifle or a shoulder mounted missile launcher depending on what is called for. The second member is either a witch or wizard that provides defense, and serves as the spotter."

Charles was intrigued and somewhat jealous of the military's success asked "Has performance been affected at all?"

"The sniper/assault team has seen the greatest improvement. The stealth and defense advantages offered by the inclusion of a wizard or witch as spotter has drastically increased the amount of time it takes for the sniper to be found in our training exercises.

The other teams have seen a reduction in casualties but their effectiveness as a team has remained largely unchanged."

"Perhaps we could try to incorporate some of your training techniques into the Auror/Police programs." Charles mused.

_**Outside 10 Downing Street**_

While the attack was underway at Diagon Alley, Voldemort apparated to the sidewalk opposite 10 Downing Street with a soft _crack_. Since their initial meeting 2 months ago, the security detail guarding the Prime Minister had been changed to include magical and non-magical defenses and guards. Thus, wards had been set around the home preventing portkeys and apparition unless you were specifically keyed in. Because of the strength of the wards, he was the only one who was able to get near the home and even with his magical strength he couldn't penetrate the anti-apparition wards.

Quickly scanning the area, he spotted 3 guards that were currently stationed outside the radius of the wards. With a soft utterance of _Avada Kedavra_, a jet of green light exploded from his wand. Striking the guard in the chest and throwing the him into the wall of the home where he crumpled to the ground, dead. Before the other two guards could react, two more beams followed the first, each striking the guards and killing them immediately.

Now that the guards had been eliminated, Voldemort began to examine the wards protecting the home. He was grudgingly impressed with the thoroughness of the job. Anti-apparition and portkey wards were in place as well as numerous wards to provide protection from most physical attacks. Finally, after examining the wards, he found a weakness; they were all tied to a single keystone focus. If he could eliminate that focus then the wards would loose most of their power.

Immediately he began working to take down the wards. The first to fall was the anti-portkey ward. With that ward collapsed, a group of 25 Death Eaters were able to portkey to the area. The Death Eaters spread out along the street in front of the house and began helping Voldemort take down the wards.

While the Death Eaters were taking down the wards, a group Dementors floated up to Voldemort and took station. Clearly, they were waiting for the wards to fall so they could begin the attack. Even through the wards their effect could be felt by those closest to them. A pall spread over the street and the temperature seemed to fall as they drew all the positive emotions and memories to them.

Inside 10 Downing Street, an alarm began sounding alerting the guards and occupants that someone was attacking. Moving with practiced efficiency, the guards on the upper floors began scanning the street for threats. They didn't have any difficulty in spotting the Death Eaters. Radioing down to the first floor, they let everyone know the size and composition of the attack force and the location. "We have 26 DEs in position out front. An additional 10 Dementors are flanking someone that appears to be the lead DE. There are no tight clusters, attackers are spread out. Recommend we have teams port into Gamma and Zeta positions on the street and a team of firebugs port to the roof."

John gave the order to call in for reinforcements. The guard immediately radioed into HQ and issued the order.

"How much time do we have before the wards are penetrated?" Tony asked.

"We can't count on anything more than 5 minutes given that Voldemort himself is working on bringing them down."

Harry stood up and said "I am going to the roof to see if I can delay things somewhat. Oh and you should probably call in some Obliviators, I can almost guarantee that they will be needed." With that, Harry ran off to the stairs and climbed up to the roof. His assigned guard quickly followed him.

Amelia turned to Tony and Rosaline and stated "I think we should get to the safe house and run things from there. If Voldemort is able to breach the wards before the reinforcements get here, he would be able to cripple both governments with one strike."

Rosaline's face flushed red and she started to protest. It felt cowardly to be running from terrorists when Tony cut her off and explained the importance of moving to a secure location. As someone who was more experienced with war-time situations and terrorism, he had long ago accepted the fact that it was not a reflection of his bravery but simple a matter of practicality. It could be a devastating blow if a state leader were assassinated during a conflict. After visibly struggling to regain control of her frustration, Rosaline consented and the three activated the portkeys to take them to the safe house. John and Charles followed suit and activated their portkeys as well once they had secured any sensitive material.

By the time the group had portkeyed to the safe house, Harry had reached the roof. He positioned himself just back from the edge. Drawing deeply on Saidin, he felt the world come alive as his senses sharpened. Hands held in front of his body with his fingers curling in towards each other, he started to weave thick cable like flows of spirit and fire between his hands. A rolling ball of blazing blue-yellow fire the size of a baseball formed and started to grow in size as it rolled and spun. The sphere grew in size as Harry continued to feed more power into it flaring and pouring out heat as it expanded. Soon Harry was forced to spread his hands apart further to accommodate the sphere which was now more than 4' in diameter.

The Death Eaters not working on bringing down the wards caught sight of Harry and the sphere of fire he was creating. Together they cast _Protego_ to form a shimmering golden shield formed over the Death Eaters. At the same time, Harry cast the sphere into air. It arced over the street and continued to grow as it flew to the air until it exploded, fire spreading in all directions for a second before it coalesced back into the shape of a long sinuous dragon with burning blue scales and yellow eyes.

Harry knees' sagged as he cut the flows of power that were feeding the dragon and let it loose on the Death Eaters. Luckily the guard with him caught him before he could fall. As the dragon began to circle the Death Eaters, Harry noticed the arrival of the reinforcements on both sides of the Death Eaters. The 'Firebugs' arrived seconds later on the roof near Harry.

As Harry gave the order to attack, Voldemort and his Death Eaters succeeded in bringing down the wards. For a moment, a shimmering dome appeared over the house before it wavered and disappeared. Meanwhile, the dragon swept from the sky and bathed the Death Eaters in fire. The shield they had cast shuddered with the force of the blue fire but held. Swept popped out on the foreheads of many Death Eaters from the intense heat and more than a few stared with gaping jaws as the dragon swept past them and began to circle around.

From the rooftop, the 'Firebugs' took aim at the Dementors with their flame throwers and let loose. Streams of liquid fire shot from the muzzles of their weapons. The burning Gelotrol fuel splashed over the Dementors setting them ablaze. Horrid high-pitched screeches could be heard from the Dementors as they flailed around attempting to escape the flames. One Death Eater cast _Diluvio_ and blast of water sprang from his wand to drench the Dementors. Unfortunately, the water was not enough to extinguish the Gelotrol and it kept burning. The blast spread the Gelotrol further under the force of the impact spreading to more Dementors until all were on fire.

Other Death Eaters decided to target the source of the attack. A particularly intelligent Death Eater standing near the rear of the group cast _Fulgor_ and waved is wand in a what appeared to be a random jagged pattern. The tip of his wand glowed a deep white-blue for a few seconds as it built a charge. Then a bolt of lightning arced out of the wand to connect with the muzzle of one of the flame throwers. Electricity surged back through the barrel into the tanks, magic fueled the strength of electricity and it surged through the non-conductive material of the hose and ignited the fuel remaining in the tank. As the fuel in the tank burned, the tank detonated throwing the man off the rooftop and spreading Gelotrol over the remaining firebugs.

Tonks reacting quickly banished the fuel tanks from the remaining Firebugs before they could detonate. Harry, having recovered some of his strength, channeled fire once again to pull the heat and flame away from the soldiers and spread it into the air to dissipate harmlessly. "Tonks, get those men back to the base."

Reluctantly, Tonks nodded and activated the portkeys to return the soldiers. When they ported out, Voldemort sent an extremely powerful blasting curse towards the rooftop, disintegrating the ledge and part of the wall destroying much of the cover for the remaining men. Harry and his guard were thrown from their feet and collided with the air conditioner unit in the middle of the rooftop.

The soldiers on the ground had gone unnoticed by the Death Eaters, giving them time to get into position. At a signal from the officer in charge of both groups, the soldiers opened fire on the Death Eaters catching them in a crossfire. For the briefest of seconds, the gold shield reflected or absorbed the attacks before shattering like a piece of glass. Those on the edge of the shield screamed out in pain as bullets tore through muscle and bone and fell to the pavement mortally wounded.

At the same time, the dragon swooped around for another pass. As it neared the remaining Death Eaters, it reared back to deliver another blast of flame. Voldemort yelled _Malus Aduro_ as the dragon sent out its flame. A gale began to blow, whipping around the Death Eaters and fanning the flames still burning the corpses of the Dementors. The wind gusts sent the flames surging back into the dragon. Unprepared for the surge in power from the wind or its own attack, the dragon lost its shape and exploded sending flames in all directions. Nearby buildings were set ablaze and windows were shattered by the shockwave sent out by the explosion.

Now that the dragon was taken care of, Voldemort started targeting the soldiers. Frustration and fury fueling his magic, he cast another blasting hex at the feet of one soldier. The spell tore through the shield hastily thrown up by the wizard assigned to the unit and impacted with the street throwing the soldiers to the ground and showering them with chunks of pavement.

The second group of soldiers continued to pound the Death Eaters. 2 of their number used tossed anti-personnel grenades into the midst of the Death Eaters sending thousands of pieces of shrapnel into the surrounding men. Death Eaters screamed in pain as they flew into their comrades from the blast or were cut down by shrapnel.

Harry, having struggled to his feet made his way back towards the edge of the rooftop to get a view of the battle. Blinking rapidly to clear the spots flashing in his vision, he realized that from this range his handgun would not be worth it. Instead, he channeled once again. This time, he sent cables of earth down the length of the building into the street below. Since Voldemort was the biggest threat, he was the target. The ground at Voldemort's feet began to bubble and liquefy and then swirled upward to completely encase his body at the same time as he was casting another blasting curse at the remaining soldiers. Impacting against the earth suddenly encasing his wand it detonated shattering the earth covering him and hurtling him back to slam against the outer wall of the Prime Minister's home.

Voldemort was stunned by the impact. He wobbled on his feet as he struggled to stand. Harry leaned precariously over the crumbling ledge of the roof, his guard holding him by his belt so he couldn't fall. Thrusting his hands forward, he sent a bar of liquid white-gold Balefire at Voldemort.

Voldemort regained his feet only to be hit by some pebbles knocked loose by Harry. He glanced upward to see Harry target him with another attack. Rather than stay and fight, Voldemort activated the emergency portkeys and escaped with his surviving Death Eaters. The Balefire sliced into the pavement where Voldemort had been standing clear into the bedrock leaving nothing but a smooth hole still steaming from the force of the attack.

The guard radioed in for medics, a clean-up team, and Obliviators after Voldemort and the surviving Death Eaters retreated. Harry made his way down to the street and began checking on survivors. The first assault team that had been targeted by Voldemort suffered the most injuries and casualties. There were three men dead and another 4 were injured. The wizard assigned to the team had been killed by the blasting hex from Voldemort. The second team had been largely spared suffering a few minor injuries but nothing more.

The clean-up teams arrived while Harry was discussing the attack with the officer. They began fanning out, detaining witnesses for the Obliviators and where possible repairing damage to the surrounding area. The medics ignored the Death Eaters and began to treat the soldiers first.

Harry made a quick count of the Death Eaters and then opened a portal to the safe house. After he and the guard worked through, it snapped shut behind them leaving the clean-up teams to finish their work.

_**Government Safe house, British countryside**_

Once they emerged from the portal room, he was directed to the war room, where everyone was currently sitting waiting for news and updates.

He placed his palm against the reader outside the door waiting for it to flash green and unlock the door. A moment later, the lock clicked as the light flashed signaling that he could enter the room. Tony motioned for him to take the open seat next to John before returning his attention to another officer who was finishing his report.

It took Harry a few minutes to catch on to the fact that Diagon Alley had been attacked at the same time as 10 Downing street. Apparently, from what he was able to piece together, Acheron had led the attack but he had been forced to retreat after the 3 artillery teams were able to take down the attacking dragons and a large chunk of Death Eaters. When he heard that Acheron had been at the attack, Harry began cursing under his breath, after everything that happened, he wanted to be the one to bring Acheron to justice.

Amelia asked "Have the families of the dead been notified?"

The officer replied sadly "Most of them have been notified, but we have been unable to reach Kingsley Shacklebolt's family. Apparently, he sent them out of the country to be safe."

A wave of grief and shock spread over Harry as he realized that Kingsley was dead. He was a good man who had stood up for what he believed in and was willing to do what was necessary to fight the Death Eaters and Voldemort. Letting out a deep sigh, Harry said "I can take you to his family. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Seraph, Hunter and I know the locations of the family for every member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Nodding briefly in gratitude, the officer was asked to wait outside until the debriefing was complete after which Harry would take him to Wales so that he could contact Kingsley's family. Once the officer left the room, the attention turned to Harry and the outcome of the attack.

He gave a quick rundown of events and described the effectiveness of the different units. "We need to figure out a way to protect the flame thrower unit better. One spell pretty much took out the entire team."

John explained "That has always been a problem with the flame units. Their fuel supply runs out quickly and they are extremely vulnerable to return fire."

"I will see if Hunter's team can come up with something. They were able to wipe out the Dementors with a single attack so they are certainly valuable but I don't want to throw men away either." Harry stated firmly.

John looked appreciatively at Harry. He felt that he had found a kindred spirit in Harry, someone who understood the importance of force but at the same time, he was not willing to sacrifice everything in order to reach his goal. Soldiers risked their lives enough without their commanders putting them in danger needlessly.

Charles brought up the topic of Voldemort. "We need to find Voldemort's base of operations. He does not appear to have the necessary organization to pose a dire threat against Britain but he is certainly able to destroy the lives of thousands of people."

Amelia said "We have tried getting spies into the Death Eaters but somehow they are always discovered. I don't know if he has a spy in our ranks but something has to be done before we try to plant someone else."

"Acheron could be using Compulsion on the Death Eaters to ensure their loyalty." Harry mused.

Tony asked the question they were all thinking "What is Compulsion?"

Face darkening slightly, Harry answered "It is a form of mind control similar to the Imperius spell but it is virtually impossible to resist." He paused for a moment before continuing "We may be able to draw Acheron out by using me as bait. He has been trying to kill me for a while now."

Rosaline snorted in a very unlady-like manner before saying "Harry is there anyone who doesn't want to kill you? It seems that you manage to gather quite the array of enemies whatever time you are in." Everyone laughed as Harry blushed at her comment.

"Yes well you wouldn't want my life to be boring would you?"

"You can have all the enemies you want, you just need to stop bringing them home with you."

"Now that you are Minister we will have to see about getting you some of your own. I wouldn't want to be greedy and grab them all for myself. Perhaps Amelia would like one or two for herself as well." He said cheekily.

"Your generosity truly knows no bounds, but I don't think it would be fair to deprive you of the excitement."

"Oh I don't mind. To be honest, after a while they become bothersome, always demanding my attention like little children."

"It must be hard being you. I mean to be famous, rich and good looking is such a heavy burden to bear."

Raising an eyebrow at her last comment he asked "You think I am good looking? You realize that according to official records I am only 15 years old."

Blushing lightly, she opened her mouth to respond when the door opened and the officer in charge of the clean-up crews at 10 Downing Street walked in to give his report. Tony waved his hand at an open chair motioning for the man to take a seat. Getting a nod from Charles, he began to give his report. He explained that the clean-up teams should be done repairing the damage from the attack by this evening. The Obliviators were continuing to work. The battle had drawn a lot of attention and it would be virtually impossible to find every witness. This caused some concerns but as there was nothing to be done, they agreed to deal with the problem when it happened. Finally he reached the worst part of his report. They had lost 4 soldiers and 3 guards. Another 4 soldiers were injured with one unlikely to survive. The Death Eater casualties had been much heavier, 16 had been killed outright or died before they received medical attention. Harry added that he believed all of the Dementors involved in the attack but because the flames had consumed everything, there was no way to be sure.

When the officer had left the room, they returned to their previous topic and began discussing ways to infiltrate the Death Eaters in order to find the location of Voldemort's HQ. Harry spoke first "I think we need to eliminate Acheron first. Without him, Voldemort won't have Compulsion as a defense anymore. So we will have a better chance at infiltrating the Death Eaters.

Charles responded "That's all well and good, but he is just as hard to find and even harder to contain since magic doesn't seem to affect your Traveling."

"There is only one thing that he wants more than my death. He wants the location of a portal stone and the symbol necessary to travel back to my time."

"What makes you so sure that he does not want to stay here in this time?" John asked. "Based on your own demonstrations, he would be far more powerful than most if not all of the witches and wizards."

"Quite frankly, this time is rather primitive compared to where we came from. More importantly, in this time there is no connection to the Dark One. Without more Aes Sedai, there is no chance to drill through to his prison, even if he could find the location, it took 15 of us working together to do it the first time." Harry explained.

"How does that help us though?"

"If we can find a way to leak the location information to him and let him know that I will be there to test it out, we should be able to draw him away from their HQ."

Amelia suggested "We could leak something through the students at Hogwarts. The Aurors that were assigned to help train the students have also been keeping an eye on suspected Death Eaters. If we drop hints of what's going on, you can be certain that someone will communicate it back to Voldemort in an effort to garner his favor."

Leaning forward in his chair, Charles said "Before we can do that we need to identify an area where we can take him down without putting any civilians at risk. It should also be an area that is fairly open so that we will have line of sight for surprise attacks.

Location aside, we should use multiple snipers stationed around the area. Using silencers, he would never be able to react in time to get away plus if Harry is there, he can distract him giving the snipers the necessary time to take him down."

"Why am I always the bait in these situations?" Harry asked in whiny 'why me' tone of voice.

"Because you are the one that gathers enemies like children collect candy." Tony answered with a straight face.

Grumbling softly, Harry acquiesced "Fine, just let me know where you need me to be. Since I am the bait, someone else can take care of leaking the information to the kiddies."

**February 24th, 1996**

**_Cardiff, Wales 11am_**

Hunter was currently sitting in the library reading yet another book in an attempt to find references to portal stones. So far, he had been largely unsuccessful, only occasionally finding a reference to a stone but never any detailed information. It seemed that more than a few locations had legends that seemed to refer to the portal stones.

Remus was also in the library that day. He was doing background research on ways to improve the safety of the flame thrower units. There were others working on it as well, but with most of the other research projects completed, he was looking for something to do. He glanced up when he heard Hunter scrambling around to for another book on the table. Hunter was excitedly searching through it and then comparing against the book open in front of him.

Remus started to smile at Hunter's antics. He couldn't help himself Hunter's excitement was contagious even if Harry, Seraph or Sirius would never feel the same passion for learning that he and Hunter did. "What did you find?" He asked curiously.

Eyes twinkling with excitement, Hunter responded "I finally may have found the location of two different portal stones. I was able to cross-reference the information in these two books to determine that some of the local legends and mythology from the areas were actually centered around the stones."

Questions poured out of Remus "Do you have exact locations or regions? How far back do the legends go? Has anyone ever disappeared from the region unexpectedly? Can we try and find them? What about the symbol or rune to take you back to your time?"

"I don't have the exact locations, but based on the legends, one of the stones is located outside a town in southeastern Germany. The other is located in the middle of rural China. I won't know anything else until we go there and check it out."

Practically bouncing in his chair, Remus gushed "Can we to Germany today? With the time change, it is too late to make it to China." Suddenly both men turned towards the doorway where they heard laughing.

Standing there at the entrance to the room was Sirius. He was leaning casually against the doorframe with his arms crossed in front of him. "At least you aren't alone anymore Moony, you finally found someone else to nerd-out with." He finished with a smile on his face.

Scowling good naturedly Remus replied blandly "Don't mind Padfoot. You can't expect much from someone who enjoys spending their time as a dog."

Nodding, Hunter added "Of course, it does take a certain level of intelligence to be successful in the subtle field of research. It is much easier to charge in and think later."

"That is something he has always been good at. If we ever need someone to charge blindly into a situation, Sirius is our man. Well, that and he is a handy person to have around if you need someone for heavy lifting."

"Hey, I'm right here you know and can hear everything you are saying about me." Sirius said in an effort to get them to stop.

"Of course you can hear us. The better question would be whether you can understand us." Hunter replied.

Sirius threw in the towel and stalked from the room only to hear raucous laughter from Hunter and Remus at his departure. After composing himself, Hunter stood and said "Let's go to Germany today. I can take us there now."

Taking some time to change and gather any materials they would need, Hunter and Remus went off to find Sirius to ask him if he wanted to go to Germany with them. It was a little after 1pm by the time they were ready to leave. Hunter opened a portal to a location outside of the town.

The three men made their way into the town and let Sirius do the talking as he was the only one who knew German. They spent much of the day questioning the inhabitants of the town regarding the portal stone and its possible location. By the end of the day, they had found few hints as to its location and were not looking forward to a random search of the countryside in hopes of finding it.

The three men were sitting in the local bar having a pint when they were approached by a farmer. He asked them if they were looking for the portal stone. During the discussion, the farmer admitted that the stone was located at the edge of the northern field of his farm. Bargaining for a few moments, Sirius agreed to pay the farmer a nominal sum of money if the stone was what they were looking.

Sirius left money on the bar for the three beers and then they left with the farmer. Climbing into the back of his truck, the farmer drove off to his farm and the field. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the field. The farmer parked and everyone got out of the truck. He led them around the edge of his field which was still barren because of the time of year. There rising up from the earth was a short stone pillar covered with runes and symbols.

Hunter practically whooped with joy when he saw it. For the first time in a while, he was optimistic about their chances of returning home. Running over to the pillar, he began to examine it in detail looking for the symbol that Harry had described. After more than 30 minutes of searching, he was unable to find any symbol resembling a dragon.

Remus, seeing the crestfallen look on Hunter said "Maybe the portal stone in China will have the right symbol. You said that not all portal stones connect to the same places or times."

Nodding absently, Hunter was lost in thought as they walked back to the truck where the farmer drove them back to town. Once they were alone, Hunter opened a portal to take them back to Wales.

That evening, Hunter spoke with Harry explaining what he had found regarding the stones. Harry suggested that they might be able to use _Tel'aran'rhiod_. By searching in the dream world, Harry could use need to find the portal stone if he wasn't too far. Since Hunter had been able to narrow down the location, hopefully it would be enough. If it was, he could take Hunter there tomorrow to check out.

That night, Harry entered _Tel'aran'rhiod_ for the first time in months. After spending some time with James and Lily he jumped to China to begin his search for the portal stone. Because the stone was virtually impossible to destroy it would definitely have a reflection in the dream world. It was just a question of finding it.

Harry reached the approximate location that Hunter had described. He spent a few minutes examining his surroundings but did not immediately see the portal stone. So with no other options, he closed his eyes and focused on the need to find the portal stone. Feeling a tug from the stone, he let _Tel'aran'rhiod_ take him to the stone.

This was an incredibly useful technique for finding people and objects but the only drawback was that you had to be within a certain range in order for it to work. If not for that limitation, Harry could have used it to find Voldemort's headquarters. Of course it would have meant that Acheron could have used it to find the Order of the Phoenix too.

When he no longer felt a pull from the portal stone, he opened his eyes. Standing in front of him was the 3 foot tall weather stone pillar covered with the characteristic symbols and runes. Like Hunter, Harry felt a surge of hope at the sight of the portal stone. He longed to return to his home and family, especially now that Sirius and potentially Remus would be returning with him.

Harry spent some time looking over the pillar and examining the different symbols and runes. Finally, he thought he found what he was looking for. It had been 22 years since he had last seen it, so his memory was a little fuzzy, but the symbol was undeniably the same as the sinuous dragon that ran the length of his arm and was his father's chosen symbol. There in front of him was a symbol containing twin dragons one atop of the other.

With hope and excitement burning in him, he left _Tel'aran'rhiod_ for the night and sank into a dreamless sleep. In the morning, he could give the coordinates for Hunter to check out and confirm the symbol but he knew that they had found their way back home.

**As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. Ideas, comments, criticism are always welcome.**


	13. Breaking Dawn

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter or Wheel of Time.**

**A/N: I apologize for the delay. Work has not been cooperating and has cut into my writing time.**

**Chapter 12:** **Breaking Dawn**

_Flashback_

_January 8th, 1996_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry_

_Amelia and Sirius were sitting in the Minerva's office. After having a light lunch and tea, the three began to talk of items related to the school and its students. Amelia and Sirius were there today to specifically talk about creating a Student Defense Force composed of upper year students that would assist the professors if there was ever a Death Eater attack from outside or inside the school._

"_As pleasant as it is to have lunch with you two, I suspect that this was not a social call." Minerva said dryly as she peered over her tea cup._

_Chuckling softly, Amelia smiled and answered "No, I wish it were, but we need to discuss the defense of Hogwarts. Now that Dumbledore is gone, we think it is only a matter of time before Voldemort targets the school."_

_Sirius added quickly "We are lucky that he hasn't done so already. Despite their improved tactics, Acheron seems to have helped us by forcing Voldemort to proceed with more caution this time."_

"_What do you mean caution? He attacked Piccadilly Circus in London during the holidays. The man must truly be insane to risk exposing the wizarding world in such a way. I don't care how powerful he is, we would be overwhelmed if the muggles ever decided to get rid of us." Minerva said._

_Amelia added "Sirius is right. Overall he has been much more cautious. Even though the attack on London was incredibly foolhardy on his part, it has worked to our advantage. Whether we like it or not, the wizarding world is rejoining the rest of the world. Despite the inevitability of it all, the changes are still opposed by many of the pure-bloods, it will be the children and the future generations that truly integrate our society. That's why we think Voldemort will target Hogwarts. If he can indoctrinate the children to his side…" Amelia left the statement hanging because everyone in the room knew what would happen if Voldemort were to turn the children to his side._

_Minerva's face soured at the thought of the students following Voldemort. She wasn't naïve enough to ignore the fact that there were Death Eaters among the students but the majority would at least give the changes a chance. "What do you propose then? We have already strengthened the wards and you have stationed a small force of Aurors here as well."_

_Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing for Minerva to blow up, Sirius responded "We want to create the Student Defense Force. Their main purpose would be to support the professors in case of an attack."_

"_You want the students fight? They're only children!" Minerva asked incredulously._

"_Minerva, Voldemort and his Death Eaters don't care how old they are. They are either supporters or enemies and if they are enemies, they are targets just like anyone else. The students won't be safe because they are underage." Amelia said._

_Grudgingly, Minerva acknowledged the point. "If I agree to this, who would be part of it? Surely you wouldn't want the younger students fighting?"_

_Sirius was almost insulted by the question. "No of course we don't want the younger students involved in the fighting. In fact, we only want 6th and 7th years to actually help the professors and aurors in an attack. We would like the 5th years to take charge of everyone else and make sure that they were as safe as possible in the common rooms."_

"_I assume you would look for students from your training sessions? Who would be in charge, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger?" Minerva assumed that the Order would want them in charge because of their membership and association with Harry Potter._

_Amelia said "Yes, we would look for volunteers from the training sessions. This is not something that is mandatory, only those willing to put their lives on the lines will be part of the SDF."_

_Sirius added "Actually, I don't think Ron or Hermione are suitable to lead the SDF."_

_Minerva was surprised and it must have shown on her face because Sirius explained further "First off, they are only 5th years, so they shouldn't be on the front lines with the teachers and aurors. More importantly, I don't think they have it in them. Hermione is a great thinker but she can be very divisive and overbearing in her opinions and her manner. _

_Ron is simply too immature. He will make a good Auror when he gets older, but honestly Ron is the lightside equivalent of a Death Eater. He hates Slytherins for their house without ever getting to know the person. I admit that I was the same way, but I have realized over time, that every house has its bad eggs. Until Ron changes that attitude, he would simply alienate too many students."_

"_I am not sure I agree with you regarding Ms. Granger, but I have seen the failings of Mr. Weasley too often to disagree with you. If not those two, who would you suggest be the leaders?"_

"_Adrian Pucey from Slytherin and Roger Davies from Ravenclaw would be my first choices."_

_To say that Minerva was shocked would be an understatement. Sirius Black was suggesting that she put a Slytherin in charge of the students defending the school. Sirius watched the gobsmacked expression spread across Minerva's face for a moment before explaining. "Adrian is surprisingly open minded. He is not a Death Eater and has taken an oath to never support Voldemort. He is giving the neutral Slytherins someone to rally around. If we name him as one of the leaders, it will only give him more leverage to pull students away from Voldemort. Plus, he works well with members of all the houses and has been very effective in building trust and cooperation amongst the different houses._

_Roger Davies is simply a brilliant student both in his spell-work and in strategy. Additionally, he will appeal to those students who may otherwise be turned off by the idea of a Slytherin being the sole leader of this group."_

_Minerva nodded in acquiescence. With that decided, they continued to discuss some of the finer details of the group. The amount of authority given to Adrian and Roger was debated for a while. Sirius wanted to make them the equivalent of Head Boy but Minerva simply refused. There was no reason for them to have that level of authority in a normal situation. She agreed that in emergencies, they should answer only to the professors and that the students would be their responsibility with the prefects and Head Boy/Girl taking direction from them._

_End Flashback _

**February 25, 1996**

_**Cardiff, Wales**_

Sirius and Seraph were in the dueling room engaged in a practice duel. Sirius was not much of a challenge for Seraph, but the purpose of the duel was more for exercise and to help Sirius improve his skills. After almost an hour of advances and retreats, Seraph ended the duel by disarming Sirius and holding his sword at Sirius' neck. Wisely, Sirius conceded defeat and Seraph removed his sword.

Sirius grunted as he tiredly stood up from the floor and surreptitiously rubbed his backside which was sore from where he had fallen. Walking over to a chair near the door, he grabbed the two towels hung over the back and tossed one to Seraph. Sirius glared briefly at Seraph while he wiped the sweat of his face with the towel and said "Why do I bother to spar with you?"

Seraph looked at him for a moment and in a deadpan said "It's your lesson in humility. You need to understand your place in the order of things." He paused to let that sink in before ruining it by adding with a slowly widening grin "Of course, your place will always be at my feet, but that is a cross you must bear."

"In your dreams, the only time I will be at your feet is when I am rolling on the ground laughing at your sad attempts to show me up."

"Really? Perhaps we should go another round and you can show me up now." Seraph suggested.

Answering quickly Sirius said "No, that isn't necessary. I wouldn't want to wear you down before your training session with the students tonight."

"I appreciate that, but I don't mind the extra exercise. Plus, maybe you could give me some pointers that I could pass on tonight."

"No, I think it is best that you go with your strengths. Anything I could pass on to you now would just disrupt your flow." Sirius said reasonably.

Smiling softly, Seraph decided that he had had enough banter and asked "What do you think of the students so far?"

Sirius eyes, got a far away look as he thought about his answer "I don't know. Part of me is still sad at the loss of Dumbledore, but at the same time he really did a disservice to the students. Some of them have great potential but they have learned so little under the previous DADA professors."

"Ron has done well with the training he received here and the sessions at Hogwarts. He will make a good soldier some day, but he really needs to lose that chip on his shoulder first." Seraph said.

"I know. Harry had hoped that on his own Ron would finally get a chance to shine on his own. The thing is he is just an average strength wizard, he is just benefiting from the extra training we have given him."

"I hate to say this, but we need to take him down a peg. As he is now, he would either get himself or someone else killed in a serious battle because he is so reckless. It is a good thing that 5th years are in charge of the common rooms."

"There are a number of students that could beat him in a duel. We might want to consider a tournament of some sort. We will need to be careful though, he is already smarting because he wasn't placed in charge of the student defense force even though he isn't old enough to be part of the front line fighting force."

"You know, even if we beat Voldemort before the next school year, they should seriously continuing the Student Defense Force."

"Why?"

"It teaches the kids leadership and responsibility. Also, it will probably help to improve the quality of the Aurors if the students have more advanced defense training before they leave school."

Thinking over that statement, Sirius asked "Did you want to talk with Adrian and Roger before or after the training session tonight?"

"After is better, then it won't interfere with the training session with them or the other students. How are we going to work this? Which students do you think are most likely to be Death Eaters?"

"It's hard to say for sure. Some of the easiest to predict are in the 5th year with Ron and Hermione. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle are good bets since their fathers are Death Eaters. Nott, Parkinson, and Bulstrode are possibilities. With Bulstrode's father being killed last week, she may be more likely to join Voldemort now if she hasn't already."

"Revenge is always a powerful motivator. Supposedly, that is why many of the Forsaken joined the Dark One."

"That seems like a pathetic reason to sell your soul to the devil."

**Later that night**

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry**_

After the training session with the students, Sirius and Seraph asked Adrian and Roger to stay behind for a moment. Once everyone had left, Sirius and Seraph sat down with the two leaders of the Student Defense Force to discuss what needed to be done.

Sirius took the lead and began to describe the plan. Essentially, they needed Adrian and Roger to leak information to potential Death Eaters about the location of a portal stone and the timing of Harry's presence. The theory was that the Death Eater wannabes would be only too happy to give the information to Voldemort in the hopes of currying favor. It was probably their best chance to lure Acheron away from his HQ and with luck they would be able to take him out before he could escape.

After Sirius had laid out the basics of the plan, Seraph asked them if they the two had any ideas on the best way to leak the information. After thinking for a few minutes, Roger asked that Sirius or Seraph write up the information they wanted leaked into a report. Adrian suggested that they work with the Headmistress to stage an emergency that pulls them away unexpectedly. That way, both Roger and Adrian could mistakenly leave the report out for the students to pass along to Voldemort.

Seraph added that he or Sirius would put together additional reports or intelligence that they can include with the portal stone information. It would be less suspicious if there was other intelligence left out rather than just the one piece of information.

After the basics of the plan had been discussed and refined, Seraph brought up another point of discussion. Seraph and Sirius wanted to get an idea of the students' reactions to the attack on Diagon Alley and the changes that were being made to the Wizarding World. This was a regular topic for the group. The opening of the Wizarding World had forced many students to choose a side. Like their parents, the majority of the pure blood students were siding with Voldemort. There were exceptions to this such as Blaise Zabini which were usually because the family already had ties to the non-magical world in some way.

After the attack on Diagon Alley, the lines solidified further and many on both sides began to take a very dim view of the other side. The school had finally united across the houses but was fracturing along blood lines. Cooperation between groups was virtually non-existent even the quidditch teams were unable to repair the breach. Players were refusing to play or were being forced off the team.

Tensions in Hogwarts were escalating as they were outside of the school. Adrian, Roger and the professors felt that it was only a matter of time before there was a confrontation on the school grounds. There was a clear line between the pure-bloods and the rest of the school. Other than the odd half-blood or muggle-born that was against the changes virtually the entire population was in support of the opening up of the Wizarding world. Already, there had been some minor skirmishes between individuals that were out alone. The students on both sides had taken to walking in groups for protection.

_Flashback_

_February 23rd, 1996_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry_

_Ron & Hermione were standing in the corridor outside of the Potions lab waiting for Snape to show up and open the door. They were there early and the corridor was empty, the other Gryffindors were still at breakfast. Ron and Hermione were talking about the latest attack on Diagon Alley and the Prime Minister. _

_Hermione was generally enthusiastic about the changes being made. She thought that the joint task forces were a good idea and was happy to see the wizarding world being forced to modernize many of their views about the world. She had been torn about staying in the wizarding world after Hogwarts, she loved magic and what it was capable of but as a muggle-born woman her options for advancement would have been limited in comparison to the non-magical world._

_Ron was less enthusiastic about the changes but refused to join with the majority of pure-blood students since they also supported Voldemort. Predictably, his father was a big supporter of the changes and his position in the Ministry had grown in importance. Despite his success in the training sessions, Ron still felt that he was overshadowed by Harry. If anything, now that Harry was an adult he felt it even more since he could no longer compete with Harry in any way. Now Harry was becoming famous in both worlds._

_While they were talking, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott approached them. "If it isn't the weasel and the mud-blood, I suppose you are happy that Potter is destroying our world?"_

"_You're just upset that your money won't be able to buy your way out of trouble anymore. Daddy won't be able to get out of Azkaban anymore." Ron said snidely._

_Draco's face paled, most people didn't know that his father was dead. He knew exactly where Ron was most sensitive and attacked. "At least I don't have to ride the coattails of my friend. What has Potter done for you lately? You're not even one of the SDF leaders." _

_Ron's face went purple and he drew his wand. Hermione was trying to calm Ron down but she was having no success. After watching Ron draw his wand, Draco and the other three all drew their wands. Draco cast the first curse while Ron was distracted by Hermione. He called out Sanguis Aboleo, the blood burning curse shot out and struck Hermione in the arm. The blood red glow of the curse started to spread up and down her arm. Hermione let out an ear piercing shriek as the blood in her was superheated and began burning through her arm from the inside._

_At the same time, Ron cast Reducto. The spell struck Draco in the shoulder spinning him around and shattering the collarbone and shoulder blade. He then heard Hermione's scream and tried Finite Incantatum to no effect. Though the spell was spreading any further than her arm, she was losing blood quickly as her heart pumped more to the area with each beat. Yelling Protego, a shield came up separating Ron & Hermione from the 4 boys. Ron took the opportunity to pick up Hermione and raced to infirmary._

_Ron screamed for Madame Pomfrey as he ran into the infirmary. She took the situation in with a quick glance and ordered him to place Hermione on a bed. By the time Poppy began running her scans, Hermione had passed out from blood loss and pain. Blanching when she saw the spell that we boiling away the blood as it was pumped to Hermione's arm, she quickly cast Demoror Anima putting Hermione in a state of suspended animation for a short time. The only downside of the spell was that it would only last 20 minutes and could not be used on the same person more than once in a 24 hour period._

_Now that Hermione was no longer in pain or losing blood, Poppy focused on administering potions that would counteract the effects of the curse. As the spell faded, Hermione began to moan and Poppy gave her 3 blood replenishing potions. Once Hermione had slipped into a normal sleep, Poppy turned to Ron and explained that Hermione would be fine but it would take some time for her arm to recover as the muscles had been damaged by the spell._

_Just then Severus came in with Draco Malfoy who was grimacing in pain from his shattered shoulder. _

_End Flashback_

**February 26th, 1996**

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry**_

Sirius was sitting in Minerva's office again. This time the meeting included Adrian and Roger. The purpose of the meeting was to flesh out the plan for leaking the information on the portal stone to the Death Eater students. They agreed that on the night of March 1st, Minerva would raise the alarm signaling an attack. This would provide Adrian and Roger with a plausible reason to leave the reports out in the open where they could be picked up by anyone.

"Sirius do you think that Voldemort will attack Hogwarts?" Roger asked.

Sharing a glance with Minerva and getting a slight nod from her before answering he said "Yes. Hogwarts is a strong symbol of hope for the wizarding world and its capture would elevate Voldemort's position. Also, with the changes that are being made, capturing the students would give Voldemort a better chance at controlling the future."

"What is being done to protect Hogwarts in case he attacks? I assume there is more that just the Student Defense Force and a handful of Aurors." Adrian said.

Minerva responded "We have been working with the muggle government to get additional security."

"You mean like some of the assault teams that were involved in the defense of Diagon Alley and the Prime Minister's residence?"

Sirius spoke "Yes, there are a number of teams stationed nearby that can be in position by the time Voldemort breaches the wards."

"Do you think he will attack before the end of term?"

"We are hoping that he does. If we are able to take out Acheron, his ally, then he and his Death Eaters will stand alone with the few creatures that have joined him."

Sirius handed a copy of the false reports to Adrian and Roger before heading out for the night.

**March 1st, 1996**

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry**_

Adrian and Roger had been working with Minerva to coordinate a false alarm so that they could leak the information to the suspected Death Eaters without being too suspicious. After dinner that evening, Adrian was sitting in the Slytherin common room reviewing the false reports that had been put together by Seraph and Sirius. He had been doing so every night for the last few days so that it wouldn't seem unusual that he was doing so that evening.

Roger had been doing something similar in the library. By working in the library, he was exposing the information to the rest of the school and those Slytherins that did not want to risk spying directly on Adrian.

At 8:45, Minerva deliberately set off the alarm signaling an attack on the school. Roger and Adrian reacted by signaling the Student Defense Force via the pendants they each wore. Per the drills, the 5th years began corralling the younger students and making sure everyone was accounted for. Adrian and Roger raced to meet up at the entrance to the Great Hall where the 25 6th and 7th year students were forming up into the two squads.

Back in the Slytherin common room, the reports that Adrian had been reviewing were left in plain view in his haste to reach the Great Hall and coordinate the defense of Hogwarts. As the 5th year students were rushing about making sure every student was accounted for, one less upstanding students was taking advantage of the confusion, Draco Malfoy, was surreptitiously making copies of the information. Draco in particular was hoping to use the information to cement his future position with Voldemort now that his father was dead. Once the all-clear was given, Draco planned to send a message via owl to Voldemort

In the library, Madame Pince was ushering the students out, but a 7th year Hufflepuff was quickly scanning the reports that had been left behind by Roger. Once she was able to get back to her dorm, she would review the memory in a pensieve that was available for the students use and send a message off to Voldemort.

In the Great Hall, the 6th and 7th year students that were members of the Student Defense Force had gathered. Once everyone had formed up and was in position behind either Adrian or Roger depending on the squad, Minerva announced that this had been an exercise to practice the lockdown procedures. There was some grumbling from the students who had been in the middle of studying.

Adrian and Roger let everyone go before approaching Minerva. Adrian told her that he had left the false reports open to everyone in his common room per the plan. He would speak with the one of the 5th years to see if anyone had taken an interest in them. Roger planned on checking with Madame Pince to see if she had noticed anyone going through his papers while she was clearing the library. Before they left to return to their common rooms both boys promised to let the Headmistress know if the plan had been successful.

**March 7th, 1996**

_**Eastern Washington, USA**_

It was a cool day. The sky was grey and a light mist was falling. The landscape was dotted with trees still barren from the winter. In every direction were rolling hills that gave a wide open view of the lands as far as the eye could see. The location had been chosen for two reasons. First, it was far from the UK and therefore most likely unfamiliar to the Death Eaters. Second, there were no towns, magical or non-magical, within 50 miles so they were unlikely to be disturbed.

Harry, Hunter, Sirius and Remus and 2 sniper teams had Traveled to the US the day before to begin setting the trap for Acheron. In late February before they had leaked the location to the Death Eater wannabes in Hogwarts, Sirius, Hunter and Remus had Traveled to the location to create a fake portal stone. It had to be in place before they leaked the information in case Acheron had checked it out before today. So the fake portal stone stood in the middle of a field that was in clear view of many of the nearby hills waiting for Acheron to arrive.

As with the real thing, it stood a little over three feet high and had an ancient weathered look to it. It was covered with many of the symbols and runes that Hunter had seen on the portal stones in China and Germany, minus the twin dragons. Using magic, they had made sure to anchor the stone to the underlying bedrock with sticking charms. Acheron would be unable to detect the charms and therefore unable to move the stone should he try.

Remus and Sirius were each working with a sniper team to find an optimal location. Once two separate spots had been found, the sniper and spotter took position and readied themselves for a long wait. They were concealed using disillusionment charms from Sirius and Remus so that Acheron would not be able to detect them visually or through the use of Saidin.

Hunter and Harry took their positions at the stone. Now it was a waiting game. In order to make things look as real as possible, Harry and Hunter were pretending to study the stone and were examining the different runes and symbols on it while talking in low tones.

Harry said "Have you started getting everything ready for the return to our time?"

Hunter responded "Yes, both Seraph and I have finally master Occlumency so we should be relatively safe from the influence of the Dark One."

"What about Sirius?"

"He is not as proficient as we are, but he is coming along. Remus has also been taking the lessons and is doing very well. His shields are almost as strong as ours. According to our research, being a werewolf grants him a certain level of Occlumency."

"Has he said anything to you about his decision to come with us? For some reason, he continually changes the topic whenever I bring it up. If we are successful here today, then there is a good chance that this could all be over one way or the other within the next 6 months."

"No, he hasn't come out and said anything. Personally I think he is leaning towards coming with us. You and Sirius are really the only things keeping him here. My guess is that the primary concern he has is the lack of _Wolfsbane_ potion."

"Control is a big issue for Remus, it doesn't surprise me that it would be the sticking point for him. Even if we can't heal him, we can certainly keep him contained once a month for his transformations."

"What about your friends Ron and Hermione? Are you going to do anything about them?"

"Our relationship has changed. There is still friendship there; however, I am more than 22 years older than they are now. I feel more like a mentor than a close friend, especially to Hermione. Ron is a different story."

Hunter grimaced at Ron's name "I can't say I am a big fan of Mr. Weasley. I understand that it can be difficult to stand out in a big family. All Aes Sedai have to go through something similar, but he refuses to recognize that achievement requires work."

Nodding his head at that "Ron has always looked at other people and ignored the work they put into developing their talents. Even with the training we have put him through as a member of the Order, he looks to have things handed to him."

"You are referring to his reaction to not being put in charge of the Student Defense Force."

"Yeah, he is a good fighter when he focuses but he does not work well with others. I don't think he understands that leadership is more than being able to duel or know a lot of different spells. It requires you to pull people together with different backgrounds, beliefs, and talents into a cohesive and effective group."

Before Hunter could respond, they both sensed Saidin being channeled nearby. At the base of the closes hill north of their position a portal sprang open. Before either Hunter or Harry could get a view of the other side, Acheron had stepped through and let it close behind him. As they hoped, he had come alone, privately Harry suspected that Acheron had little respect for either Voldemort or his Death Eaters. By Acheron's standards, they were second rate fighters and their magic was nothing compare to Saidin. Even with the training from Acheron, their raids tended to degenerate into duels or torture sessions.

Acheron made no pretense of sneaking up on them. He simply shouted as he made his way towards the portal stone "Telamon send your little lapdog away! It is time we settle things once and for all."

Harry sent a look to Hunter who reluctantly nodded. Stepping away from the portal stone, he opened his own portal back to Wales.

"Now, just in case you have anyone else here..." Acheron channeled and a familiar deep blue shield formed around them and spread out expanding into a dome until in covered the entire clearing. The snipers were effectively useless now until Harry could get that shield down.

"So its come to this has it Martin?" Harry was hoping to keep him off balance by using his given name.

Acheron snarled at his old name but was smart enough not to rise to the bait "Just give me the symbol to get home and I will make your death quick."

"Why would I do something like that? I have nothing to be afraid of if I remember right, the only time you have ever beaten me in a duel was when we stayed with swords." Harry watched as Acheron drew his sword and moved into position. "You deserve the Dark One if you think I am going to face you in a swordfight. Apparently, my uncle did not rub off on you if this is the best strategy you could come up with."

"Of course, you would belittle any strength of mine. Can't have Telamon, son of the Dragon, looking weaker than anyone else." He said snidely as he continued to advance slowly.

"What happened to you Martin? We used to be friends and despite what you may think I never used my father or his connections to get anything." Harry said sadly. Even as he was speaking he was moving his hand down towards the holster he had concealed under his jacket.

"That's a lie and you know it. You and daddy were never content to have the spotlight on anyone other than yourselves. Why else would Belal and I have been shipped off to govern that pathetic city while you spread your lies about us?" Even after all this time and the power he had gained, Acheron's driving goal was to humble and kill Harry proving that he was the stronger of the two.

"We may have ignored your actions in the city for too long, but we never spread any lies about you. You and Belal did more than enough to hang yourselves. And what about Devra, she loved you?"

Bitterness filling his voice, Acheron spat "Devra's was the biggest betrayal. I had come to expect the petty jealousy from you but she turned against me. She chose you over me. The day she testified against me was the day I knew that she would always choose you over me."

"Is that why you tortured her? Because she refused to hide the crimes that you and Belal had committed. As ever, you took the coward's way out, rather than admit what you had done and pay the penalty, you run away like a little boy hiding from his parents.

Acheron's face turned beet red at Harry's comment and before he could respond, Harry's hand plunged into his jacket and pulled his Sigs-Sauer from its holster. Not taking time to aim, he fired a shot off at Acheron. Reacting with speed that only comes from experience and long hours of training, Acheron rolled out of the way and channeled flows of fire into the gun, heating it until it was too hot to hold and began to glow a dull red. With a cry of pain, Harry dropped the gun just seconds before the clip exploded as the bullets cooked off. Shrapnel tore through Harry's right calf.

Blood was coming from his calf in a steady pace. Unable to support his weight, Harry crashed to the ground. While he was falling, he could feel Acheron channeling, he didn't think it would be Balefire since he hadn't gotten the symbol from Harry yet. Not wanting to take any chances, he rolled to the side and filled himself with Saidin. Even as he rolled, he was thrown into the air as the ground where he had originally exploded.

Moaning in pain as he crashed to the ground, he almost lost his hold on Saidin. Acheron was temporarily forced away from Harry by the power that was radiating off him in waves. The air was visibly distorted like heat rising from a paved road in the middle of summer. Struggling to stand, Harry wove two separate flows. Creating a shield around himself at the same time weaving spirit and air into a small light blue sphere that he shot towards Acheron. Part of Harry was aware of the fact that while he was attacking, Acheron was channeling what felt like Balefire. The sphere hit Acheron in the chest and detonated in a deafening boom that propelled Acheron through the air and slammed him into his own shield at the edge of the field.

Flying backwards through the air as Acheron released the blast of Balefire, it shot up at a steep angle slicing through his shield but never coming near Harry. Harry realized he needed to end things quickly, with his leg, he wouldn't be able to dodge attacks very effectively and there was no shield that would work against Balefire. So taking a chapter from Acheron, he shot his own bar of Balefire at Acheron, but missed as he staggered out of the way.

Acheron and Harry both channeled at the same time, Harry used fire to cover Acheron in flames, attempting to burn him alive. This forced Acheron to change his attack and he attempted to use water to force the fire away from his body. Harry saw that the flames weren't reaching Acheron's body so he fed more power into the flames and watched as the color changed from an orange red to a deep blue throwing off waves of heat. Acheron responded and fed more water against the flames but only succeeded in creating a cloud of steam that scalded him immediately raising blisters on his skin.

Even wrapped in the void, Acheron could feel the pain from the burns that were forming on his face and arms. The void began to tremble as Acheron fought to resist the pain and maintain his hold on Saidin. Before he could change his defense, Harry channeled earth and fire into a small explosion underneath Acheron. Blasted off his feet by the explosion and covered in burns, Acheron lost his grip on Saidin. Using Saidin was always a risk, it was a constant battle of control, if the wielder lost that battle, they risked having their mind destroyed by the power. Power flooded into Acheron, sweeping his mind away, scouring his mind clean of any thought or substance.

Harry watched as Acheron's lost focus and his mouth fell open. Limping, he slowly approached Acheron, but he no longer sensed any Saidin coming from his former friend. Taking a moment he cut the weaves that were holding the shield together. It flashed once before falling apart back into nothingness.

Harry stood there waiting filled with Saidin as he saw Sirius approach him. Together, they approached Acheron. Still Harry sensed nothing from him. Harry said "I think his mind is gone. It felt like he lost his hold on Saidin when I blasted him off his feet."

Slightly green, Sirius who had had long discussions with Harry, Seraph and Hunter regarding the nature of Saidin said "Then what do we do with him? If you are right, there is nothing that could be done even back in your time he would be nothing but a vegetable." Internally, Sirius was surprised that he didn't consider this to be Harry's time anymore. Even though he knew he would leave with Harry, it felt strange to acknowledge that his godson did not belong here.

The adrenalin that had helped Harry to ignore his wound was wearing off. Without the void, pain was shooting up his leg and he was beginning to feel a little light headed. Sirius seeing Harry sway slightly on his feet, noticed his leg for the first time. He conjured a compression bandage that should stop any further bleeding until they returned to headquarters.

By this time, Remus, and the sniper teams had made their way over to Harry and Sirius. Harry had made a decision. He couldn't take the chance that magical healing would somehow reverse the effects on Acheron's mind. Channeling one last time, he sent a slim bar of Balefire, burning bright white in his vision, into Acheron erasing him forever from time. Despite everything, part of him mourned for the final death of his friend. There would be no redemption, no remorse, everything that was Martin was gone forever never to be spun out from the wheel again.

**As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. Ideas, comments, criticism are always welcome.**


	14. The Death of Kings

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter or Wheel of Time.**

**Chapter 13: The Death of Kings**

**March 8th, 1996**

**_Voldemort's Hideout, Wales_**

Voldemort was sitting in his throne room eating breakfast when Severus Snape entered.

Voldemort's eyes glowed for a moment before putting his for down and asking "Severus, I assume you have a good reason for interrupting my breakfast."

Bowing until his forehead practically touched the flow, he said with a small quiver in his voice "My lord, have you read today's Daily Prophet?"

"What lies are they spreading today?" He said with a sneer. "What has the great Potter done this time?"

Snape's face paled even more than his usual pasty self and he opened his mouth only to close it again, not sure what to say. Voldemort, ground his teeth in annoyance. His hand moved toward his wand. Severus audibly gulped at the movement before mustering the courage to go on "My lord, the Daily Prophet is reporting that Acheron was killed by Potter yesterday."

Shooting to his feet and his fist clenching around his wand, Voldemort threw a blasting curse at the wall near Severus. Chunks of stone and mortar flew everywhere from the hole that now adorned the wall. "How…Where…" Voldemort couldn't finish his question. He was too overcome with rage.

Stuttering a little Severus explained "It…It was yesterday. Potter tricked him into going to Washington and they dueled and Potter won. He supposedly used Balefire on him so there would be no chance of saving him."

Voldemort cast more blasting hexes to vent his rage. Severus felt immensely lucky that he was not the focus of his lord's anger. Sneering at Severus' cowering form, Voldemort stalked over and grabbed his arm pressing his wand against the dark mark. Within minutes, Voldemort's inner circle had arrived in answer to his summons.

"As you are no doubt aware, the Daily Prophet is reporting that Acheron is dead, killed by Potter. Since he has not shown himself today, I must assume that this news is unfortunately accurate."

Severus stepped forward against his better judgment and asked "My lord, how do you wish to respond?"

"We will take Hogwarts before the end of the current school year. This will give us sufficient time to plan. Now that Dumbledore is gone however, it should be much easier."

Severus was confused by target "But without Dumbledore or Potter there, why attack Hogwarts? What value does it hold?"

Voldemort's eyes blazed a bright red for a moment and everyone took a step back from Severus expecting him to get punished for his question. Instead, Voldemort said "Though Potter is no longer there and Dumbledore is dead, Hogwarts remains a symbol of hope for the light. If we are able to take it, we will go a long way towards crushing their willingness to fight."

"But what about the muggles, they don't care about Hogwarts? Now that they are aware of our presence, they will fight against us regardless of what happens." Severus persisted. Inwardly he was marveling at his courage or stupidity depending on how you looked at it.

"No, they don't. Capturing Hogwarts gives me something else too. It gives me control of the children there. Think of it, hundreds of Death Eaters trained from the time they were 11 to fight and die for me." He said fanatically.

Murmurs of understanding and agreement could be heard from the others present before Voldemort continued. "We must plan this carefully. Even without the old muggle loving fool, Hogwarts has strong defenses. We will need the strength of the Dementors and the Dragons for this to succeed."

Another member stepped forward "My lord are we to continue the other raids?"

Pausing for a moment to think it over, Voldemort decided "No, we will stop the raids for now. Let them think that they have pushed us into retreat. Once they have dropped their guard, we will strike.

Severus, I want you to work with the student Death Eaters to stage a distraction that will keep the professors from responding quickly. It is unfortunate that Malfoy is no longer among them, but there is little to be done about it now." Smiling in a predatory fashion he added "At least his punishment serves as a lesson for the students to act with more cunning."

_Flashback_

_February 23rd, 1996_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry_

_Minerva had just walked into the infirmary after learning of the attack. Luckily, all the parties were still in the infirmary. Ron refused to leave Hermione's side while Severus and Draco were still present, afraid they might attack her. _

_Minerva proceeded to question Ron and Draco since Hermione was still in no condition to answer questions. Draco tried to blame Hermione and Ron for everything and Severus backed up everything he said, but Ron was surprisingly quick on his feet and offered to take Veritaserum to verify his story._

_Minerva did not miss the defeated look on Draco's face as he realized that he would not get out of this. His father was still missing and everyone knew it so he couldn't hide behind his name either. Minerva was personally disgusted with the boy and while Albus was willing to look the other way in the past, she would not do so._

"_Mr. Malfoy, I am afraid that with the testimony of Mr. Weasley that I have no choice but to expel you from Hogwarts."_

_Severus was outraged, "Minerva, you can't be serious. The mud…Miss Granger is going to make a full recovery. If this was Potter, you would no doubt be pinning a medal on him"_

"_Albus might very well have looked the other way, but I am not Albus. All I see before me is a spoiled child who has been allowed to get away with numerous attacks and bullying. You might not discipline your Slytherins, but I will."_

"_But what about Weasley, he should be expelled as well then." Severus knew he could no sway Minerva the way he could Albus but he at least wanted his pound of flesh if he was going to be unable to save Draco._

"_Mr. Weasley will not be expelled. He was defending the life of another student." Minerva held up her hand as she saw Severus begin to open his mouth to object. "He will be suspended for a week and have a month of detentions."_

_Severus simply grunted, but Ron objected "But I was just protecting Hermione, he could have killed her."_

"_I am sorry Mr. Weasley. You did protect Miss Granger admirably, but I can not overlook the potentially deadly force you used in that defense. If you had used something non-lethal, I would have been able to overlook the incident."_

_After that, Severus stormed out of the infirmary with Draco in tow. Minerva turned to Ron once more and said "Mr. Weasley despite the punishment, you should be proud of your actions. Your quick thinking saved Miss Granger's life and prevented any other injuries. If I could I would award you points, but in this my hands are tied."_

_Ron was somewhat mollified by her comments and asked if she could explain the situation to his parents since he didn't think his mum would listen to him._

_Smiling at the image of a raving Molly Weasley, Minerva agreed to explain all the details of the incident. _

_End Flashback_

"Yes my lord." Severus replied.

"Now go, I have planning to begin. You will each be given tasks in the future to help us accomplish our goals. I expect no more failures." Voldemort finished with more than the threat of future punishment if they failed.

Each member of the inner circle bowed and quickly left the throne room, leaving Voldemort to his plans and schemes.

**March 20th, 1996**

_**Potter Manor, Cardiff Wales**_

It was almost two weeks since the battle with Acheron and Harry could usually be found walking the grounds around Potter Manor. With Acheron out of the way, the only thing stopping Harry from returning to his family was Voldemort. He was anxious and almost eager to face Voldemort again for what would hopefully be the last time.

Now that the Order was working with the British SAS, there were fewer meetings as they organization was working so closely with the military. The meetings they did have were largely informational to keep people apprised of everything going on.

Tonight was a special meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. It had been called to bring them up to speed on the results of the mission in the US and the latest plans for drawing Voldemort from hiding. Despite the attacks and the losses Voldemort had suffered, he still had a large pool of Death Eaters to draw from. The latest intelligence estimate had him at over 500 Death Eaters with more as passive supporters in the community. The gains made by opening the wizarding world to the non-magical world were somewhat offset by the number of pure-blood families that had joined Voldemort openly in order to protect the power they had in the current system.

Harry called the meeting to order. After giving a brief description of his fight with Acheron which had been reported by the Daily Prophet weeks ago, they moved on the subject of Voldemort. Now that Acheron was out of the way, the primary target became Voldemort. They spent much of the meeting speculating on his potential targets. In the end, everyone agreed, that at some point, he would be attacking Hogwarts. It was simply to tempting a target, the library and other artifacts contained in the school could be a powerful weapon in Voldemort's hands. Unfortunately, even though the Death Eaters had been quiet the last two weeks, they could not afford to station any more Aurors at the school.

Soon enough, the meeting was drawing to a close. Harry told everyone as they were getting ready to leave to keep their guard up and their ears to the ground. When Voldemort did attack, it would come hard and fast. No one disagreed with him and the meeting broke up after that.

**May 24th, 1996**

_**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry**_

The sun was just beginning to rise. The sky was clear and turning from the dull grey or pre-dawn to a pale blue. Dew was glistening on the grass and the students and professors were still asleep. Just outside the edge of the wards, Voldemort and his 300 remaining Death Eaters apparated in at the edge of the wards. As the Death Eaters arrived, Voldemort sent a signal shooting over the Forbidden Forest signaling their arrival. While the spell was still arcing over the forest, the temperature began to drop and the dew froze when the Dementors emerged and floated over to join Voldemort's forces.

An ear-splitting roar rose up from the forest. 10 large winged shapes rose up into the air and began to soar towards the castle. A mixture of Hebridean Blacks and Peruvian Viper tooth dragons were flying in a loose 'V' formation. Voldemort upon seeing the forms of the dragons in the distance shot off another spell to signal the dragons to attack the wards once they were in range.

Meanwhile, inside the castle alarms were going off. The sound could be heard throughout the entire school jolting students and professors alike out of their sleep. The professors began preparing for an attack while the SDF began assembling in the Great Hall. The 5th year students were trying to maintain order in the common rooms and keep the younger students from leaving. Unbeknownst to the 5th year SDF members, a number of students from Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had left the common rooms before the alarms began to sound.

At the nearby military base, alarms began to sound. Shortly after the beginning of the year, the wards of the school had been tied to alarms at the base so that the base could be notified to bring in reinforcements. Based on the alarms that were sounding, the base commander ordered multiple flame units and assault teams to portkey to Hogwarts. Normally, the wards around the school would have prevented this, but the base portkeys had been specially attuned to allow the soldiers passage through the wards.

Shortly after the teams had left, another alarm began to ring throughout the base. This one signaled the presence of dragons. Minutes later 5 Apache AH Mk1 armed with twin 30mm M230 chain guns and high explosive incendiary semi-armor piercing rockets pods took off towards Hogwarts. The Apaches were roaring over the countryside towards Hogwarts at over 150mph. While they were making their way to Hogwarts another 5 were being readied for launch once they had a better idea of the numbers being faced.

Back at Hogwarts, the assault teams arrived and took position around the school and atop the towers. After taking a moment to identify the location of the Death Eaters, Dementors, and Dragons, the soldiers took up positions to maximize cover and provide the best firing solution.

Overhead, the wing of dragons drew ever closer to Hogwarts. Voldemort and his followers watched in anticipation as the dragons pulled their wings in close to their bodies and dove towards the castle at incredible speeds. Wings flaring at the final instant, the dragons leveled off and shot over the wards with fire spewing from their mouths illuminating the wards in a red-orange glow. The wards held but seemed to waver for a moment in the lingering flame before fading back into nothingness to await the next attack.

From the towers, streaks of light could be seen shooting towards the dragons. Soldiers armed with shoulder-mounted launchers sent missiles shooting into the air after the dragons. Voldemort, having learned from the attack on Diagon Alley so many months ago, gave a signal and the dragons broke off in separate directions in erratic flight patterns to avoid the incoming spells and missiles.

Once they were a good distance away from the castle, the dragons reformed and swerved back towards the castle to make another run. This time the dragons came from the east putting them directly in front of the rising sun. As the approached, more spells flew in their direction but they avoided them as the dragons dove once more towards the wards. Skimming over the top of the wards and attacking a second time with the burning white dragon flame, the dragons were forced to break off prematurely as a string of missiles rocketed towards them homing in on the heat from the flame. One dragon was too close to the wards to dodge effectively and the missile impacted near its head. The missile exploded, disintegrating the head of the dragon killing it instantly and the body crashed into the wards and slid down along the shell and crashed into the ground at the edge.

Roars of anger rose from the dragons at the loss of one of their number fell. They swung around for a 3rd attack on the wards. While the dragons began to dive once more to strafe the wards with their fire, the first attack wing of Apache helicopters came into view. Before the Apache's were in weapons' range, the dragons attacked a 3rd time. For the briefest of moments it appeared that the attack would be another failure but then the wards flashed a deep red-orange as the flames spread further before wavering and visibly collapsing.

As the wards fell, the Apaches finally reached weapons range. Locking onto the weaving forms of the dragons, rockets were launched from over 2 miles away. Cheers had gone up from the Death Eater ranks at the fall of the wards only to be silenced seconds later as the high explosive rockets impacted with four of the dragons blasting through their armor and sending them crashing to the earth dead.

The remaining 5 dragons banked towards the Apaches and prepared to retaliate. The Death Eaters targeted the helicopters with blasting hexes and _Reductos_. Most of the spells missed because their target was still close to a half-mile away but one Apache was caught in the tail by a blasting hex. The stabilizer was blown off the tail while the rest of the helicopter was relatively undamaged. Without the stabilizer though, the pilot lost control of the aircraft and it crashed into the base of the southeast tower. A deafening explosion rocked the school as the fuel and ammunition detonated destroying the base of the tower. Seconds later as flames were still spreading outward, the stone tower groaned and collapsed outward crushing the remains of the craft.

The Death Eaters and Dementors began to advance on the school now that the wards had fallen. More streaks of light flashed through the air towards the Apaches from the Death Eaters. The helicopters were weaving through the air, their chain guns spitting out hundreds of rounds into Death Eaters, Dementors and dragons. The rounds tore through the wing of one hapless dragon sending it careening out of control into another Apache causing both to crash to the earth with a huge explosion throwing rock and debris outward into attackers and defenders.

Before the Apaches could be overwhelmed, the second attack wing arrived on scene with a flurry of chain gun rounds and explosive rockets ripping into the dragons and ground forces. The explosive force of the rockets through dozens of Death Eaters into the air or their comrades with flame igniting the Dementors' and Death Eaters' cloaks. Any semblance of discipline was quickly lost as Voldemort's forces broke ranks in an attempt to save themselves. Dozens of Death Eaters and Dementors were mowed down in the initial hail of gunfire.

The remaining 4 dragons were involved in a dogfight with the remaining 3 Apaches from the first attack wing. Diving and banking, the dragons and Apaches were in a dance for supremacy with the roar of dragons or engines and the occasional burst of gunfire marking the deadly nature of the contest. The lone surviving Hebridean Black and a Peruvian Viper tooth caught one Apache in a crossfire of flame igniting the remaining rockets in the right rocket pod vaporizing the helicopter and its crew in an explosion of flame and shrapnel.

Two other Viper teeth were not so lucky. One was caught by a rocket fired at relatively close range; the explosion not only ripped apart the dragons belly but destroyed one of the engines in the process as shrapnel from the rocket blew back into the Apache. Even with one engine damaged, the aircraft had enough power to head back to base. The second dragon was torn apart by the rounds from multiple chain guns.

On the ground, Voldemort rallied his forces. Working together, they cast a series of overlapping _Protegos_ that helped to protect them from the worst of the explosions and chain gun fire. Soon enough, the two remaining dragons and helicopters were flying off the field of battle. The dragons were retreating and the Apaches were out of ammo.

Inside Hogwarts, the SDF and professors had gathered at the entrance to the Great Hall. While the SDF and professors were preparing the defense of Hogwarts, the nine Death Eater students were approaching quietly under disillusionment charms. What they didn't realize that as headmistress of the school, Minerva was tied in directly with the wards and was aware of their approach.

Once the students had come within 30 feet on either side of the entrance, Minerva triggered the signal tied into Adrian's and Roger's badges. Previously she had warned them of the approaching students. Using the hand signals they had been taught, they signaled the other students in their squads to fire area effect defensive spells. Two students from each squad launched a modified _Stupefy_ and two others launched blasting hexes while the remaining students prepared to shield or dodge.

The spells were aimed at the floor about twenty feet in front of each squad. Some of the more agile Death Eaters dodged to the side as the _Stupefy_ washed over everything in a 10' radius while the blasting hexes sent flames and pieces of stone flying in all directions. Groans could be heard from the handful of Death Eaters that had escaped being stunned but were caught by flying debris.

One Death Eater rolled with the explosion from the blasting hex and came to rest in a crouch. Aiming quickly, she cast _Avada Kedavra_, the sickly green spell shot from the wand and hit a seventh year Gryffindor before they could dodge out of the way. Before she could fire another off, she was caught by three separate _Reductos_ which killed her instantly as her torso was blown apart by the force of the spells.

Only 2 other Death Eaters were still conscious after the initial assault. Before they could proceed outside to assist with the assault teams defending Hogwarts, the SDF and professors made sure to search the students and remove all wands and obvious portkeys. The students were then restrained and left in the great Hall under the guard of Professors Sprout, Vectra and Sinistra.

Just as they reached the main entrance of Hogwarts, the doors were blown inward under the force of numerous blasting hexes and _Reductos_ from the Death Eaters outside. Professor Flitwick and Adrian were trapped under the remains of the door. Minerva and Adrian's squad worked to free them while Roger led his squad out of Hogwarts and into battle. They moved out in formation, the front line using shields to provide cover while the students in the middle and rear of the squad targeted the Death Eaters with the most damaging spells they had available minus the Unforgivables.

Outside the entrance, the assault teams were burning through their ammunition at a furious rate. Explosions were heard sporadically during the battle as grenades were lobbed towards the enemy. Ever so slowly, the Death Eaters were advancing and pushing the assault teams back.

Once in range, the flame units appeared from under their disillusionment spells and spread death in wide swathes. Dementors went up like torches unable to move quickly enough to get away from the great gouts of flame spewing from the flame throwers. Death Eaters were more agile and able to dodge but many were still caught by the flames and ended up no better than the Dementors.

More reinforcements arrived. This time, Aurors and Order members appeared on the edge of the grounds, away from the initial battle. Moving into formation, the two groups of fighters began to advance, catching the Death Eaters in a cross-fire of spells and bullets mowing down many of the isolated groups of Death Eaters before they were forced to move behind cover by an attack led by Voldemort personally.

Arm moving with incredible speed as Voldemort cast spell and spell. Jets of green, blue, and maroon light shot out from his wand, killing or maiming whoever they hit. With Voldemort personally leading the charge, the Death Eaters redoubled their efforts and once again began to advance and push back the defenders.

Harry opened a portal and stepped through with Seraph and Hunter into the Forbidden Forest near Hagrid's hut. The battle had moved closer to Hogwarts by this point as the defenders were slowly being pushed back. Despite the fire power of the assault teams and the damage done by the Apaches, the sheer number of Death Eaters was slowly overwhelming the defenders. Everywhere he looked he could see Death Eaters huddled behind conjured barriers throwing spells only to be forced to move by a grenade or hail of gunfire.

Finally, Harry caught sight of Voldemort. He was operating on the edge of the battle using his favorite spell to take out those unfortunate enough to cross his path. _Avada Kedavra_ he yelled out and yet another blast of green light burst from Voldemort's wand to strike down a nearby student. Growling softly, Harry started to make his way towards Voldemort.

Seraph pulled his sword from it sheath at his hip. He channeled Saidin but held onto it in case he needed it as he waded into a group of Death Eaters with their backs to him. While the Death Eaters were distracted, Seraph slipped into Boar Charging Down the Mountain and dispatched his first target by running him through the chest. After withdrawing his sword he stepped into Lightning Strikes the Prairie and a flurry f rapid sword strikes left the second target incapacitated on the ground. By this point, the third and fourth targets had turned and started firing spells at Seraph. Seraph switched into Hummingbird Takes Flight and advanced on the two remaining Death Eaters even as he dodged their spells waiting for his chance to take them down.

Hunter took a moment to survey the area and spotted a group of 5 Death Eaters huddled behind a large boulder. Channeling water and earth he pushed the flows down into the ground. A ripple spread out from his feet towards the Death Eaters gaining in size and speed as it moved. Then like a wave, the ripple rose from the ground and came crashing down on the Death Eaters trapping them in thick heavy mud.

During this time, a separate pair of Death Eaters noticed Hunter standing in the open and targeted him. One cast _Avada Kedavra_ forcing Hunter to dodge at the last minute, landing roughly on the ground. Using Air and Fire he started to spin a shield around himself but was not quick enough as a _Reducto_ tore into the ground next to him. Stone and gravel ripped into his chest and stomach leaving him gasping in pain and struggling to hold onto Saidin. Taking the only option left to him, Hunter activated his emergency portkey and retreated to the infirmary at their base.

The remains of a nearby assault team, seeing that the two Death Eaters were distracted opened fire. The first was caught unprepared and fell as he was jerked from his feet by multiple bullet impacts. The second was able to cast a quick _Protego_ which deflected the bullets for a few seconds before shattering leaving him unprotected one again. Even as he began to cast another spell, a stray shot caught him in the neck severing an artery in his neck. The spell forgotten, the Death Eater tried to stop the blood spurting from the wound even as he began to aspirate on it. Finally his legs simply folded under him and he slumped to the ground as he died.

As Harry began to near Voldemort, he saw him spin when he was shot in his left arm. Voldemort hissed for a second or two in pain before channeling his anger into a powerful blasting hex that hit the soldier in the chest. The explosion, fueled by Voldemort's anger and pain blew the soldier apart leaving nothing but a smoking crater a few feet wide.

Harry took a deep breath and pulled on Saidin, filling himself with the One Power. As always, he felt more alive when he was holding Saidin but this time he regretted the heightened senses as he was assaulted by the sounds and smell of death on the battle field. Pushing the feelings away, he channeled air and fire into a whirling firestorm centered on Voldemort. His screams could be heard across the battlefield as his cloak burned and his skin blistered from the flames.

Concentrating, Voldemort yelled another spell and a shockwave spread out from him in an all directions throwing Harry off his feet. His attack disrupted, the flames quickly flickered and died out. Not wasting any time, Harry began to channel again, building up an electric charge in his fists. Before he could create a strong enough charge, Voldemort growled _Avada Kedavra_ sending the spell towards Harry.

Harry was forced to dodge out of the way and at the same time send the lightning streaking towards Voldemort. Voldemort groaned in pain as the bolt arcs over his skin adding further trauma to his already burned skin. It was not strong enough though to do any serious damage and Voldemort again yelled out _Avada Kedavra_. The spell was poorly aimed and impacted at Harry's feet disintegrating the ground underneath him causing him to crash down unexpectedly. Harry rolled quickly to his feet and dove to his right as a blasting hex screamed towards him, pushing him further into the air.

Channeling earth, water, and spirit, he slammed his hand into the earth as he lands. The ground around them rumbled and a giant fist composed of earth and stone rose up and grabbed a hold of Voldemort lifting him into the air. While Voldemort struggled to free himself, the shape of a giant began to emerge and lift Voldemort further into the air. Finally freeing his wand arm, Voldemort sent another blasting hex into the head apart. With nothing controlling it, the hand and body that had been emerging fell apart into loose stones and earth.

Voldemort grunted as he landed and cast _Ardeo Flagrum_. A whip composed entirely of white hot flames sprang forth from his wand. He snapped his wrist sending the whip speeding towards Harry where it wrapped around his wrist. Harry screamed as the flames burned skin and muscle and hastily channeled water around his wrist and the whip itself extinguishing it. On the edges of his concentration, he could still feel the pain from the whip but he forced himself to push past it and attack again.

Neither man was aware of the fact that the battle had stopped around them. They were so focused that they did not realize that the combatants from both sides had stopped fighting and were simply staring at the display of power. No one could remember ever having seen a similar display of power and brutality. It was clear that there was no retreat from this duel, it was to the death.

Pulling Saidin into himself again, he shot forth a geyser of water into Voldemort while at the same time charging the water with electricity. The impact of the water cracked Voldemort's sternum and forced him on his back only to be followed by a surge of electricity coursing over his body. He screamed in pain and in an act of desperation screamed _Avada Kedavra_. The spell while not aimed particularly well was close enough that Harry was forced to dodge, screaming himself as he came down on his injured wrist.

Voldemort was struggling to his feet when Harry sent a jet of intense flame at him. In his haste, his aim was too low and impacted at Voldemort's feet. The flames were so intense that the rock underneath his feet turned red hot before sagging and liquefying. Once again, Voldemort fell to the ground as flames consumed his feet, crippling him. Harry attacked one final time before Voldemort could escape; he poured all of his anger, his hate, and his loss into an immense beam of Balefire. Voldemort simple ceased to exist before the power of the attack, he did not shimmer as other victims of Balefire did he just disappeared, gone forever.

In the second after the attack, the connection that had existed between Harry and Voldemort his entire life was severed. Pain unlike anything he had felt before spread throughout his body. He screamed for a moment before he passed out from the intense pain.

The remaining Death Eaters were surrendering after seeing Voldemort defeated by Harry. The remaining soldiers and Aurors were in the process of confiscating wands and putting restraints on them.

Seraph rushed over to Harry's side. He knelt down and felt for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief when he felt a strong steady heartbeat. Figuring that the soldiers and Aurors had the cleanup well in hand, he opened a portal back to HQ and picked Harry up and brought him to the infirmary.

**May 25th, 1996**

_**Potter Manor, Cardiff Wales**_

Harry had woken early that morning. While he was unconscious, Poppy had taken the opportunity to heal his many cuts and scrapes without the normal comments from her patient. The wound to his wrist had taken more effort. The whip had burned away the skin and most of the muscle. The only thing that kept his hand attached was the tendons and ligaments. After administering numerous potions and several healing spells, the damage was mostly repaired though he now had a pale scar circling his wrist.

Harry slowly stood up from the bed, still feeling a little shaky as he made his way to the bathroom to relieve himself and take a shower. It was when he was shaving that he first noticed the scar on his forehead was virtually gone. Oh, it was still there, but it had faded now that his connection to Voldemort was broken forever. If you didn't know what you were looking for, it would be very easy to not even notice its existence.

Then Harry realized that for the first time in his life he felt truly free. Even when he was with his family, there had always been the knowledge that he would return to the 20th century and have to face Voldemort. That was done with now; he had satisfied fate and vanquished the dark lord. Now, he could take his place by his father's side once again, safe in the knowledge that they would face the Dark One together. A smile spread across his face as he realized that he would be going home soon, all that was needed was to wrap up a few things and say his goodbyes.

It was close to midnight. The Manor was silent but for the laughter coming from the library. Voldemort was finally dead and not coming back. Harry, Seraph, Sirius, Remus and Hunter were all in the process of getting extremely drunk as they celebrated the end of the conflict.

Earlier in the day, they had sent the Order members home to celebrate the victory with their friends and family. The Weasleys had been participating in the impromptu celebration as well, but most had long since passed out or staggered off to bed. Bill and Charlie had lasted the longest but they were presently passed out on the other couch in the library.

Seraph, Sirius, Remus and Hunter were marveling at the happiness and contentment that had been radiating off of Harry since they had first seen him that morning. Hunter after many drinks decided to ask him about it. So with extremely slurred speech and many pauses as he struggled to get the words out, Hunter finally asked Harry why he was so happy and apparently content.

Harry laughed and this was yet another indication that something had changed for him. He explained his revelations from that morning that for the first time in his life, he was free of the threat of Voldemort. Even in the future it had hung over him though it had been distant. Now, they were going to return home and he could once again be Harry James Potter-Telamon, Aes Sedai and son of the Dragon. He would never again be the Boy-Who-Lived and he would never again have to worry about the hypocrisy of the wizarding world or their pathetic reliance upon a small boy to save them from the evil of Voldemort.

Remus flared suspiciously at Harry when he realized that the explanation was far too coherent. "Why aren't you drunk?"

Harry just smiled at him for a moment before answering "Because I have been taking a sobering potion every hour since we started drinking." He finished blandly.

Remus' eyes narrowed at that. "Why would you do that? Are you afraid one of us will prank you?"

Abruptly, Seraph and Hunter broke out laughing. Hunter almost fell out of his chair he was laughing so hard and Seraph had tears running down his face. Harry just glared at them but Seraph pointedly ignored this and answered for him. "Harry was a bad boy in when he was still a Novice."

Sirius perked up at this, eager to hear anything that may embarrass his godson. "What did he do?"

Harry growled "Don't answer that que…" Abruptly Harry was cut off by a quick _Silencio_ from Remus.

"Now we don't have to worry about any more interruptions from tall, dark and sober." For good measure, Remus cast _Petrificus Totalus_ to keep Harry still in addition to silent.

"Harry, Hunter, and I had snuck out one night shortly after being accepted as Novices to celebrate. We went to a bar that is near the Hall of servant and got roaring drunk. Harry and I had to carry Hunter back because he had passed out. Amazingly we made it back to Hunter's room with no one catching us. It was when Harry went to his room that things went down hill. Apparently, little Harry decided the main entrance hall could use some redecorating. Unfortunately he was caught and while he was getting reamed out, he vomited all over the Aes Sedai. Next day his mother shows up and proceeds to dress him down like you have never seen in front of the entire Novice class. Since then, I don't think I have ever seen him drunk nor have more than a couple of drinks at a time."

Harry just sat there still paralyzed from the spell but blushing furiously. Sirius got up and staggered over to Harry to ruffle his hair. "Awww…Is Bambi worried about upsetting his mummy?" This turned out to be a mistake because while Harry was paralyzed, he could still channel. Using water and air he dunked Sirius in ice-cold water and left him gasping on the floor. He decided he had enough of being paralyzed and prepared something similar for Remus.

_Finite Incantatum_ was cast quickly by Remus at the sight of a large mass of water hovering above his head. Now that he was released from the spells, Harry smiled and said "Thank you. However, that does not mean you won't be punished." After saying those words, the water fell on Remus and coincidentally splashed over Seraph as well.

All three men were much more sober now that they had been thoroughly soaked. Remus stood and before Harry could move, gave him a big hug soaking the front of Harry's clothes in the process before running out of the room. Remus' swift departure signaled the end of the evening and the men went off to their bedrooms.

The next morning, Harry was eating breakfast when Remus and Sirius sat down at the table. Both men looked more than a little hung over but they shared similar somber expressions. "What's going on? Why the serious expressions, pardon the pun?"

Remus answered after being nudged in the ribs by Sirius "Harry, I have decided to go with you. You and Sirius are all I have left, there is nothing holding me here."

Harry grinned and said "That's great news, but why the long face?"

"You know we won't be able to brew Wolfsbane potion. I am not sure what kind of danger I will be putting people in."

"Remus you have seen the types of things that we can accomplish with the One Power. Even if we can't heal you, we will have no problems keeping you contained one night a month."

"That's what I told him, but he was sure it would be an issue." Sirius said.

"Remus, you will always be welcome with me and will never be a burden." Harry said knowing that Remus' biggest fear was being a burden on his friends and family.

It was clear that Remus was still a little insecure but more relaxed then when he had come in. "So when are we leaving?"

"Within the next couple weeks, I need to meet with the Prime Minister and probably should meet with Minerva as well before we go. So you should get your affairs in order because this will be a one way trip."

**A/N: Only the epilogue remains. Oh, and there will be more of the direct aftermath of the battle of Hogwarts. If anyone is interested in being a beta for the sequel, send me a message. Thanks.**

**As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. Ideas, comments, criticism are always welcome.**


	15. Our Revels Now Are Ended

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter or Wheel of Time. **

**Chapter 14: Our Revels Now Are Ended **

**May 24th, 1996 **

**_Hogwarts_****_ School_****_ of Witchcraft & Wizardry _**

The damage to Hogwarts was severe. The southeast tower lay in ruins. The gate and doors at the entrance to the school were destroyed beyond recognition. Inside, the school was largely undamaged save for the entrance to the Great Hall where the SDF had briefly fought off the student Death Eaters.

The grounds surrounding the school showed the effects of the spells and non-magical weapons that had been used with devastating effectiveness. Blast craters spotted the fields. Some craters, those caused by weak spells or small arms fire were barely noticeable. Other craters were large with ragged edges and deep enough for a full grown man to stand in. Wide swathes of grass had been burned away by dragon's fire or flamethrowers, or explosions. Many of the outlying structures such as Hagrid's hut and the stables were destroyed either by stray missiles, grenades, or fire.

The defenders were slowly emerging from behind cover after the death of Voldemort and were taking action to secure the school once again. The moans of the wounded and the dying echoed softly throughout the grounds. After seeing Voldemort killed by Harry, the Death Eaters either surrendered or attempted to flee. Luckily, enough of the defenders had survived to capture most of those attempting to escape but a few did get away.

As the search for the wounded and dying began, it quickly became obvious that despite the soft moans heard everywhere there were not many survivors. Both sides had used whatever weapons they had at their disposal, not to capture but to kill. The majority of the wounded were found lying near the school itself. The professors and students being unaccustomed to battle had been more reluctant to use lethal force.

After Minerva had sent the professors and SDF back into Hogwarts to see to the other students, she began to make her own rounds to see who would be mourned. Over the months since the Hogwarts had been working with the British military she had come to know many of the officers when they had visited Hogwarts for one reason or another. She stopped for a moment and sighed softly when she found one such officer dead near the main entrance. There were no visible wounds so it was evident to her that he had been hit with the _Avada Kedavra_. Kneeling for a moment by his side, she closed his eyes and let her mind wander through his time at Hogwarts. She thought back to the time she first met him.

_Flashback _

_Minerva was sitting in her office reading Ministry reports about the latest changes that were being made to her world as they opened up and joined the non-magical world. Despite the relative ease of the transition, she still had her misgivings about allowing the military access to Hogwarts even if it would provide additional security that was necessary now that Albus was gone. _

_A knock at the office door took her by surprise. She had been so engrossed in the reports that she hadn't noticed that someone was here to see her. A moment later, a young military officer walked into her office. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes. He couldn't have been older than 25. She couldn't help but smile as he looked around wide-eyed with enthusiasm at the various portraits and devices scattered about the office. _

_"This place is amazing. My superiors told me what to expect, but this is way beyond that." _

_Minerva actually chuckled softly before asking "May ask your name and what I can do for you?" _

_"My apologies Headmistress. I am Major Christopher Medry. I have been given command of the SAS teams that are to be stationed here." _

_Thus began an unlikely friendship between a young major and a stern headmistress. Despite her misgivings about the military presence at Hogwarts, Minerva found that Christopher's enthusiasm and openness gave her hope for the future of her world. If people could respond that positively, than maybe all these changes will be good in the end. _

_End Flashback _

A tear ran down her cheek, leaving a small trail in the dust and grime from the battle. Sighing again, she stood and moved on to see who else had died.

Minerva eventually found someone she never thought to see again. Severus Snape was still alive if just. He had been shot numerous times but the worst wound was the cutting curse he had taken to his abdomen. It had been sliced open and his organs were visible despite the thick blood that continued to ooze out of the wound. Their eyes met briefly, before Minerva again moved on. She didn't waste her time signaling for help. Severus had made his choices in life and now he was reaping the rewards.

Severus just watched as Minerva walked away. He never thought that a Gryffindor would leave someone to die even if they were the enemy. It was positively Slytherin of her. If it had been someone else dying, he would have laughed at the development. As it was all he could do was grimace as he began to cough up blood, his lungs slowly filling from his wounds.

_Flashback _

_Severus was leading his detachment of Death Eaters. He had picked the 5 men personally and was confident in their ability to work together and not get distracted. Too many of Voldemort's followers were new recruits and had never been in a serious battle before. _

_Once the wards around Hogwarts fell, Severus ordered his men to advance. As they neared the school, they began throwing spells. Incantations rang from their throats and beams of colored light shot forth from their wands. Some were aimed at the castle while others were aimed at the defenders on the ground. Despite his experience, Severus was not accustomed to this type of battle and therefore his men were unfocused and aiming at different targets. _

_In the heat of battle Severus' group had become separated from the main mass of Death Eaters and was pinned down behind some hastily conjured boulders. A missile shot towards them from the nearest tower impacting on one of the boulders. The explosion killed or stunned his remaining men and threw Severus to ground a few feet away while disintegrating his cover. Staggering to his feet, he saw an assault team approaching from the forest. Before he summoned a shield he cast Avada Kedavra twice. Twin beams of sickly green light shot from his wand. One solder dodged the spell, but the second hit killing another man instantly. _

_The soldiers ignored the loss of their comrade and opened fire. Bullets pinged off the golden shield in front of Severus until a well aimed grenade exploded in front of it. The shield shattered from the force of the detonation. An opportunity presented itself with the collapse of Severus' shield and the soldiers were quick to capitalize on it. He never had time to cast another spell because bullets struck him in his wand arm and both legs. Finally, as his knees were buckling, the wizard assigned to the unit caught him in his abdomen with a Diffindo. _

_Severus collapsed to his knees and then fell onto his back groaning in pain. He was unable to do anything else. He was unable to even cast a simple healing charm because he had lost his wand when he was shot in the arm. Closing his eyes, Severus prepared himself for death. After all these years of being a double agent to ensure he would be on the winning side, he was still going to die regardless of the outcome. _

_The soldiers stalked by him as they moved on to the next group of Death Eaters. None of them spared so much as a scornful glance for the former potions professor. They were more than happy to leave him there to die slowly. _

_End Flashback _

Severus Snape died in the same way he had spent most of his life, alone.

Inside the school, the professors were spreading the word that Voldemort was dead and that everyone was safe. While the remaining Death Eaters were being carted away, the professors kept the students in their common rooms. Despite the house differences, the reactions in each common room were virtually the same. The only difference being the number of students on each side.

After hearing that Voldemort was dead, each student either began to cheer and whoop or sank into a state of sullen resignation. Ravenclaw and Slytherin saw the largest groups of students mourn the loss of Voldemort even if they did disagree with his tactics. The pure-bloods which composed the majority of this group saw the death of their world with the loss of Voldemort. No more would they stand aloof from the other wizards and witches living lives of privilege. They would now have to make their way in the world the same as everyone else.

The other group cheered the death of the dark lord. A shadow that had hung over the school for close to 5 years had finally lifted. The students danced and yelled and whooped at the news. For most it meant that they no longer had to fear a Death Eater attack on their family or themselves. Many had lost parents or love ones during Voldemort's second rise but now those ghosts and memories could be put to rest.

Near one window of the Gryffindor common room sat Hermione. She had watched the battle from the safety of the common room. She had even caught glimpses of Harry's battle with Voldemort as they moved in and out of view from the common room. Like most if not all of the other muggle-borns, she was relieved at the news of Voldemort's death. But, she couldn't be as care-free about it as everyone else.

With Voldemort dead she knew that Harry would be leaving them to go home to his family. She had heard many stories of Harry's life from Hunter and Seraph and even a few from Harry himself. It was no surprise to her that he would want to return even if there was a war going on. He had been able to finally escape his fame and live his life away from all the expectations that came with title of the Boy-Who-Lived.

Sniffling softly, Hermione couldn't help but think that she had already lost her friend. There was more than a 20 year age difference between them now. While they would always have the first four years, he had grown up while he was away and experienced things she couldn't imagine. Even if he stayed with them, they could never be close the way they once were, they were simply at different points in their life.

Completing Hermione's emotional confusion was a liberal dose of guilt. She and Ron had always been with Harry when he faced Voldemort. This year though she had been confined to the common room with all the other students. Shaking her head a little, she realized that wasn't why she felt guilty. No, she felt guilty because she was grateful that she hadn't been out there fighting. As long as she was being honest with herself, she could admit that the other times had been adventures but this year, they had been at war. There weren't any cute riddles to solve it was kill or be killed. Despite all that, she felt like she belonged by Harry's side where she had been so often before but that role had been taken by Seraph and Hunter.

Finally, she got up and joined the rest of the Gryffindors in the celebration. Brooding about things wouldn't make any difference. She had to move one and be happy that she had 4 years of strong friendship with Harry Potter. Joining some of the 5th years, she heard Seamus and Dean telling stories about Harry. She laughed with everyone else at the injuries and escapades that he had gone through in his 4 years at Hogwarts. As she laughed, her heart began to feel a little lighter and she was able to revel in the fact that she was 16 years old and had a future free from Voldemort ahead of her.

Another 5th year Gryffindor had yet to join the celebration. After hearing the news, he went up the stairs to his dorm. Ron had been watching the battle from the window with Hermione. And like Hermione, Ron was experiencing a mix of emotions at the moment. However, unlike Hermione, anger and jealousy were strongest in him. Despite what he had seen through the window, he knew he should have been out there fighting. After all, wasn't he one of the top students in the training sessions, just because he was a 5th year didn't mean he should be kept in the common room with everyone else?

As always, his thoughts turned back to Harry. Harry was out there, taking the glory. He had no doubts that all anyone would be talking about would be Harry's duel with Voldemort. No one would care about him for anything except his time spent with Harry. Frustrated and in no mood to celebrate, Ron cast a disillusionment spell over himself and made his way back downstairs. No one noticed the portal swing open for a moment as he made his way out.

Ron was surprised when he neared the Great Hall and saw the damage done. Scorch marks were on the walls and floor and several of the large stones from the ceiling had crashed down. Blood stains could be seen clearly on the floor near the fallen stonework. Swallowing nervously, he continued walking on towards the main entrance. From the window, everything had looked like a great adventure and though he had seen people fall, it didn't seem real to him. After seeing the blood, Ron began to think that maybe it wasn't a game at all.

Finally he reached the main entrance and was shocked by the damage he saw. The doors were destroyed as was much of the surrounding stone work. Ron slowly made his way outside, he was beginning to regret leaving the common room but something seemed to pull him further out. By this time most of the surviving Death Eaters had been taken away. Medics and healers were scurrying around doing what they could to save the wounded.

Ron was overcome was nausea and threw-up at the sight of the body of Death Eater that had been torn apart by an explosion. Not far away from the Death Eater were the bodies of two soldiers. One had clearly taken the _Avada Kedavra _because he had no discernable wounds that would have killed him. The second was missing a leg, most likely from a blasting hex or a _Reducto._ Ron couldn't stop staring at them, neither soldier could be older than 25. One even had red hair and could've passed as a Weasley. He didn't notice when his disillusionment spell wore off. He was so lost in his thoughts.

Bill Weasley saw his brother appear. He had been sent in after the battle was over to help with restoring the wards around the school. Walking quickly over to Ron, he grabbed him by the shoulder to ask what the hell he was doing out here when he saw Ron's face. He was crying.

Before Bill could say anything, Ron had grabbed him in a fierce hug and mumbled "That could have been you or Charlie."

Bill wasn't sure who he was referring to until he noticed the body of the soldier on the ground. "It wasn't though, we are all safe." He said trying to reassure him.

Finally, Ron let him go and admitted in a depressed voice "I've been so stupid. I never thought it would be like this. The good guys aren't supposed to die."

Bill put his arm around Ron's shoulder and said in a comforting manner "It is never a game and I think that is what is hardest for kids to realize. I didn't realize it until after I had participated in a few of the attacks. No one should have to die or deal with this kind of thing. With Voldemort gone, hopefully we won't have to see something like this again. Now come on, let's get you back to the common room."

Ron shook his head and looked at Bill with a hopeful expression "Bill is there anything I can do out here? I promise I won't get in the way, but I want to help even if it means just cleaning up."

Bill smiled at Ron and said "I think we can find something for you to do." Laughing he added "If Minerva catches you though, I had nothing to do with it."

Ron grimaced at the thought of running into the Headmistress but was eager to do his part.

**May 27th, 1996 **

**_10 Downing Street_**

Harry was meeting with Tony, Rosaline and Amelia discussing the defeat of Voldemort and the aftereffects.

Harry put his teacup down on the table and asked "What was the final count?"

Amelia knew the numbers by heart "We lost 143. Another 35 were injured and are recovering. The Death Eaters lost close to 200 and we captured 83. It seems that very few of the injured Death Eaters survived long enough to get medical attention."

Everyone was silent for a moment as the numbers sank in. Tony took up the conversation again "Mr. Potter you have the thanks of the queen and a grateful nation for what you have helped us to achieve here."

"No thanks are necessary. I did what I had to do in order to save the lives of my friends and family."

"What will you do now?"

Harry smiled something he had been doing far more often since Voldemort's death. "I am going home."

Tony was taken by surprise "You mean you found what you were looking for?"

"Yes, my friends and I will return to our time in the next week or two."

Rosaline and Amelia had an idea that this would happen but not quite so soon. "Don't you want to stay and enjoy the fruits of your labor?" Rosaline asked.

Laughing heartily, Harry replied after a moment "It's not that I don't appreciate this time and all the changes that are going on. My family is waiting for me and they need me more than you do. With Voldemort gone, I have every confidence that you can take the Wizarding world forward out of the past."

Blushing at his compliment, Rosaline replied "Thank you Harry. It means a lot to hear you say that."

Standing Harry shook everyone's hand and said "It has been an honor working with you. I imagine the transition will not be easy, but in the end it will be worth it. All I ask is that you face the problems head-on and don't look for someone to save you." With that, Harry Traveled back to Wales to finish packing.

**June 7th, 1996 **

**_China_**

Harry, Seraph, Sirius, Hunter, and Remus were standing near the portal stone making their final preparations to leave. They had said their goodbyes to everyone earlier that day.

Sirius had reinstated Andromeda back into the Black family and named her, her husband, and Tonks as his heirs. He left them everything since he would have no need of it in the future.

Remus had said goodbye to his few friends in the order and put his affairs in order. The little money he did have was given to the Weasleys as a thank you for the way they took Harry into their family.

Seraph and Hunter had said brief goodbyes to their comrades from the Order. They had kept their distance from everybody because they knew that they would not be staying and had no wish to form strong relationships with anyone outside of Remus and Sirius.

Harry had spent the previous day with the Weasleys and Hermione. Even though he was excited to return, there was a part of him that would always treasure his time with his them. They had been his first friends and would always hold a special place in his heart. He also had his bank create an account for each of the Weasleys and Hermione with 1,000,000 pounds each. They would receive notice through Amelia after he had left so they could not refuse the money.

The remaining money would be put into a trust to help orphans and the victims of war. When Hermione had heard of his plans for the trust, she asked to be involved. She wanted to help make sure that no one ever grew up the way that Harry had.

Ron had surprised everyone by also asking to help. His walk through the battlefield had a bigger affect on him than everyone realized. He had come to understand what Harry was returning to, it was something that Ron had known all his life. Despite his sadness that Harry was leaving, he couldn't begrudge him the family he was returning to. By helping with the trust, Ron would help other children grow up in the same environment that he had.

Harry took one last look around at the Weasleys, Hermione, Amelia and the Order standing around them in a large circle. Harry directed Hunter, Seraph, Sirius and Remus to stand close to him. Taking a deep breath he filled himself with Saidin and focused it on the symbol of the two dragons. A shining white light began to pour out of the portal stone and encompassed the five men. It continued to get brighter until it was almost painful to look at. Then it was gone and with it the five men.

Those left behind looked at each sadly in silence before gathering by the portkey to return home. They vowed to rebuild their world and avoid the mistakes of the past. The safety and future of their world would never again be placed on the shoulders of a 1 year old child.

**June 7th, 999NE **

**_Portal Stone on the slopes of Rhuidean _**

It was nearly midnight on this dark and silent night. It was a new moon so the only sources of light were the camp fires of the Aiel surrounding the ancient and barren city of Rhuidean. The darkness of the night was shattered by a blinding white light that shone like a beacon from around the portal stone. Warning shouts and bird calls rang through the night alerting everyone of a possible attack.

A group of 10 Aiel approached the light with their black veils drawn across their faces and spears at the ready. The Sha'Mad Conde or Thunder Walkers had just reached the perimeter of the light when it disappeared. In place of the light stood 5 men 4 of whom collapsed into unconsciousness immediately. Harry took one look at the advancing Aiel before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he joined his friends in blackness.

**A/N: I expect to have the first chapter for the sequel out sometime in mid-April. I am also taking over another story but I will be alternating chapters so while updates may be a little slower on the sequel initially, it will move forward. **

**As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. Ideas, comments, criticism are always welcome. **


	16. Announcement

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Author's Note: Sorry to give people the wrong idea but I just wanted to say the Return of the Dragon is officially abandoned. If someone wants to take it over, I'd be happy to send them the chapters I was able to recover. I apologize to anyone who was still hoping for a sequel but I can't bring myself to write that story any more for some reason.


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